Few players in Scottish football have generated as much sustained transfer interest over the past year as Nicolas Raskin. The Belgian midfielder has become one of the most coveted assets in the Rangers squad, with Turkish giants Besiktas repeatedly circling in an attempt to prise him away from Ibrox. As the saga has rumbled on across multiple transfer windows, one thing has remained constant: Raskin’s status as arguably the most complete midfielder in the Scottish Premiership, a player whose combination of tenacity, range of passing and tactical intelligence has made him the perfect fit for Rangers, and an obvious target for ambitious clubs elsewhere in Europe.
Besiktas’s interest in Raskin has proven anything but a one-off approach. The Turkish club identified the 25-year-old as a priority target across the summer transfer window, with talks at various points appearing close to a breakthrough before ultimately collapsing. Reports from Turkey suggested Besiktas had reached an agreement in principle with Rangers over a structure for the move, with the deal understood to hinge on whether it would take the form of a straight sale, a loan with an obligation to buy, or a more contentious loan-with-option arrangement. Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano confirmed talks were underway between the two clubs at one stage, only for the move to stall as Raskin himself weighed up his options.
At another point in the saga, Yagiz Sabuncuoglu, a Turkish journalist closely following the story, reported that Besiktas had agreed an initial loan move for the midfielder, with an option to buy included rather than an obligation, and that personal terms were understood to be close to being finalised. Yet just as a deal appeared to be edging toward completion, the move fell through in dramatic fashion during the closing stages of the summer window in Turkey. It later emerged that Rangers themselves were the ones who blocked the move, reportedly as a consequence of their own failure to bring winger Vaclav Cerny back to Ibrox, a departure that would otherwise have freed up funds and squad space to sanction Raskin’s exit.
With the door seemingly closed for the time being, Besiktas were forced to look elsewhere to strengthen their midfield ahead of the Super Lig deadline, with reports suggesting they turned their attention to other registration options once it became clear a deal for Raskin could not be completed in time. Even so, Turkish outlets have continued to suggest that the Black Eagles view the saga as very much unfinished business, with reports claiming Raskin has been placed back at the top of their shortlist for the January transfer window. According to Turkish newspaper Takvim, Besiktas have already reopened their file on the player, keeping close tabs on his situation in Govan following the summer’s failed negotiations, and viewing him as a primary target for strengthening their central midfield rotation alongside other options being considered, including Nottingham Forest’s Ibrahim Sangare.
For Rangers manager Derek McInnes, the ongoing speculation surrounding Raskin has presented a delicate balancing act throughout the year. Speaking after a league win at Falkirk, McInnes was asked directly about the midfielder’s situation and struck a tone of studied realism, suggesting he expected Raskin to remain at Ibrox for the time being. He explained that the player had been given the opportunity to leave but that neither Raskin nor the club had ultimately entertained finalising a move at that point in proceedings, adding that he had been keen to utilise the midfielder throughout the uncertainty and felt his side benefited from his experience.
McInnes has also been fulsome in his praise of how professionally Raskin has handled a summer of speculation. Speaking to Sky Sports ahead of a Conference League play-off fixture, he described the midfielder as having been first class both on and off the pitch, noting that since returning from World Cup duty with Belgium, Raskin had trained brilliantly and shown real motivation despite the noise surrounding his future. McInnes acknowledged that plenty of conversations had taken place with the club and interested parties, but stressed that until a concrete offer arrived that Rangers felt compelled to consider, Raskin simply had to focus on his job in the same way as any other member of the squad. He added that he had no doubt the player would continue to give excellent service if he remained at Ibrox beyond the transfer deadline, framing the ongoing interest as a natural consequence of Raskin’s undoubted quality rather than a distraction that had derailed his season.
That measured, philosophical approach reflects the reality of Rangers’ position: a club desperate to keep hold of one of its most important players, yet also aware that a substantial offer from a club the size of Besiktas, reportedly touching or exceeding £10 million, would be difficult to turn down given the financial context of the club’s recent recruitment spending under the ownership of Andrew Cavenagh.
To understand why Raskin has attracted such persistent interest, it helps to look closely at exactly what he offers on the pitch. Leading Belgian journalist Sacha Tavolieri, discussing Raskin’s qualities in detail, described him as close to the perfect midfielder for a club like Rangers, explaining that his defining trait is a refusal to waste time in possession. Rather than playing safe, lateral passes or waiting for an opponent to close him down, Raskin looks to go directly at the opposition and play forward as quickly as possible, always thinking vertically and searching for the pass that will move his team further up the pitch. Tavolieri also highlighted his ability to win the ball back and distribute it at speed, framing him as a player who thinks constantly about progression rather than simply retaining possession for its own sake.
That same assessment also touched on Raskin’s combative side, with Tavolieri describing him as a fighter, ready to go to war for his team, someone who loves making tackles and never hesitates to put in defensive work on behalf of his teammates. That blend of technical quality and physical intensity is precisely what has made him such a coveted profile among European clubs looking to strengthen their central midfield areas, offering a rare combination of a deep-lying playmaker’s vision alongside a ball-winner’s appetite for a contest.
Raskin’s statistical output backs up the eye test. Detailed scouting analysis conducted during his time at Standard Liège, before his move to Scotland, highlighted his exceptional range of passing as a deep-lying playmaker, someone who prefers to operate in the middle third of the pitch rather than venturing into either penalty box, using that positioning to spray passes to every corner of the field. Whether it is a long diagonal switch to a teammate on the opposite flank, an incisive through ball designed to play a colleague in behind, or a simple, secure pass over a few yards to retain possession under pressure, Raskin’s game features the full spectrum of passing options, a versatility that makes him notoriously difficult for opponents to press or close down effectively.
During that period at Standard Liège, Raskin was recorded attempting close to 38 passes per 90 minutes with an accuracy rate above 82 per cent, along with a healthy volume of longer passes attempted at a completion rate above 55 per cent. Those numbers reflect a player entrusted with dictating tempo from deep, someone comfortable both retaining possession securely and taking risks to progress the ball into more advanced areas. Since his move to Rangers, that underlying skill set has translated into a productive attacking output as well, with Raskin recording notably high figures for expected goals assisted per 90 minutes for a player nominally operating as a defensive-minded number six, evidence that he creates chances for teammates directly through his own forward-driving play rather than simply recycling possession to more advanced creative players.
Beyond his passing range, Raskin’s game is also defined by his physical attributes and defensive contribution. Standing at 179 centimetres, he is not the most physically imposing central midfielder in world football, yet his combination of aggression, timing and anticipation allows him to compete effectively in aerial and ground duels alike, with some assessments crediting him with winning more than half of his aerial contests despite his relatively modest height. His speed over the first few yards allows him to consistently win back possession, while his strength in one-on-one situations has become one of the defining features of his game, helping him dominate individual battles against a wide range of opponents in the Scottish Premiership and beyond.
That all-action, box-to-box style has drawn favourable comparisons to some of the more combative and technically gifted midfielders to have emerged from Belgian football in recent years, with observers pointing to elements of both aggressive ball-winning and composed distribution in his overall game. His ability to cover significant ground across matches, combining defensive diligence with a willingness to break forward and support attacking phases of play, has made him an increasingly important figure for both club and country as his career has developed.
Raskin’s footballing education began at a young age in his hometown of Liège, where he first laced up his boots as a four-year-old with local side Royal Stade Waremmien FC, quickly outgrowing his own age group and catching the eye of scouts with his early technical ability. Born to former professional footballer Thierry Raskin, he grew up with an inherent understanding of the demands of the professional game, with his father instilling in him the discipline and mental toughness that would go on to characterise his playing style throughout his development.
His breakthrough into senior football came at KAA Gent, where he made his professional debut in the Belgian top flight in February 2018 at the age of just 16, becoming the first player born in the 21st century to feature in Belgium’s Pro League, a landmark that immediately drew attention from domestic media and the wider European scouting community. After a spell gaining experience in more limited midfield and substitute roles at Gent, Raskin moved on to Standard Liège, where his career truly flourished, commanding a regular starting berth and establishing himself as one of the most exciting young central midfield prospects in Belgian football, eventually attracting interest from clubs across England and further afield.
His move to Rangers represented the next significant step in that upward trajectory, and he has continued to build his reputation north of the border, becoming a first-team regular and a key contributor in both defensive and attacking phases of Rangers’ play. His progress has been recognised at international level as well, with Raskin earning his senior Belgium debut and continuing to establish himself within the national set-up, a further reflection of just how far his career has come since those early days playing above his age group in the Liège youth system.
Were Besiktas, or indeed any other suitor, to finally succeed in prising Raskin away from Ibrox, the impact on Rangers would be considerable. He has become one of the first names on Derek McInnes’s team sheet, providing the kind of tactical intelligence, aggression and range of passing that few other players in the current squad can replicate. Losing a player of that profile, particularly with two years still remaining on his existing contract, would represent a significant blow to the balance of the Rangers midfield, even accounting for the club’s heavy recent recruitment in that area, which has already brought in Cammy Devlin, Dan Neil and Vanja Dragojevic as reinforcements.
For Besiktas, meanwhile, the persistence of their interest speaks to exactly how highly Raskin is rated across European football. A club of their stature returning repeatedly across successive transfer windows, undeterred by a collapsed deal in the summer, suggests a conviction that Raskin represents precisely the kind of dynamic, two-way central midfielder capable of anchoring their side both domestically and in continental competition. Whether that pursuit finally bears fruit in the January window, as has been strongly suggested by reports out of Turkey, or whether Rangers once again find a way to keep hold of one of their most important assets, the Raskin transfer saga looks set to remain one of the most closely watched storylines in Scottish football for months to come
Ultimately, the level of interest surrounding Nicolas Raskin reflects a simple truth: he has become one of the most well-rounded, technically gifted and competitively minded midfielders operating in Scottish football today. His combination of a deep-lying playmaker’s vision, a ball-winner’s appetite for the physical side of the game, and a proven ability to progress possession under pressure has made him a natural target for clubs looking to strengthen at the base of midfield. For Rangers, keeping hold of him for as long as possible will remain a priority, even as suitors like Besiktas continue to circle, convinced that the Belgian international remains one of the most complete midfield talents available anywhere on the continent.
