‘Phenomenal’ Rangers star set to leave Ibrox as Champions League club open talks
Rangers supporters have grown used to reading Nico Raskin’s name in transfer speculation over the past two summers, but this time the noise sounds considerably more concrete. According to reports from journalist Luca Bendoni, La Liga side Real Betis have now formally opened talks over a move for the Belgian midfielder, a development that suggests his four-year stay at Ibrox may finally be drawing to a close.
It is a moment that has felt, in some ways, inevitable. Raskin has spent the past two years being described in increasingly glowing terms by anyone who watches Scottish football closely — a central midfielder blessed with the engine to cover every blade of grass, the composure to dictate tempo, and the timing to arrive late into the penalty area with real end product. That kind of profile rarely stays hidden for long, and with Real Betis freshly qualified for the Champions League, the pieces now appear to be falling into place for a genuinely significant departure from Ibrox.
A Summer of Wholesale Change at Rangers
To understand why this particular exit carries so much weight, it helps to step back and look at the scale of upheaval already under way at Ibrox this summer. Rangers are in the middle of what looks like a genuine ground-up rebuild, arriving on the back of another trophyless campaign that has clearly convinced the club’s hierarchy that incremental tweaks were no longer sufficient.
The most significant change of all came in the dugout, where Derek McInnes has taken over team affairs, succeeding Danny Rohl as manager. That managerial change has, in turn, set off a wave of squad activity. Lawrence Shankland, Ross McCrorie, Ben Godfrey (arriving on loan), Dan Neil and goalkeeper Ivor Pandur have all made the move to Ibrox already this window, giving McInnes a clear head start in reshaping the squad in his own image. At the same time, two significant figures have departed: long-serving captain James Tavernier and goalkeeper Jack Butland have both moved on, closing the book on lengthy chapters at the club.
Set against that backdrop, the prospect of losing Raskin too might initially look alarming — the loss of yet another key contributor during a summer already defined by heavy turnover. But as will become clear, McInnes appears to see this particular departure less as a loss to be mourned and more as an opportunity to fund further reinforcement elsewhere.
The Making of a Rangers Star
Raskin’s rise at Ibrox has been one of the genuine feel-good stories to emerge from Glasgow in recent seasons. Signed from Belgian outfit Standard Liège back in 2023, he arrived without the fanfare that tends to accompany a marquee transfer, but has spent the years since steadily establishing himself as one of the finest midfielders in the entire Scottish Premiership. It is not an exaggeration to say he has been described by observers as “phenomenal” — strong praise, but one that reflects just how highly regarded his performances in a Rangers shirt have become.
That form has not gone unnoticed at international level either. Raskin has forced his way into a hugely competitive Belgium squad during his time in Glasgow, a considerable achievement given the strength in depth the Belgians can call upon in central midfield. He is currently part of the squad competing at this summer’s World Cup, and although his minutes so far have been largely restricted to substitute appearances, he has reportedly continued to catch the eye whenever called upon — further evidence, if any were needed, that his ceiling extends well beyond Scottish football.
It is exactly that combination — proven Premiership quality, international pedigree, and a World Cup platform to showcase both — that has made this summer feel like the moment his Ibrox career was always likely to reach a crossroads.
Real Betis Move First, but Italian Interest Lingers
While Real Betis are understood to have made the most concrete move so far, they are reportedly not the only club keeping tabs on the 25-year-old. Two Italian clubs are said to be monitoring the situation closely as well, continuing a thread of Serie A interest in Raskin that has persisted for some time. For now, though, it is Betis who have taken the initiative, opening talks in an attempt to get a deal over the line before rival suitors can properly organise their own approach.
Betis’s motivation is straightforward enough. The Spanish side secured a fifth-placed finish in La Liga during the 2025/26 campaign, a result strong enough to clinch Champions League qualification for the first time in years. That achievement has understandably sharpened the club’s ambitions heading into the new season, and strengthening the midfield with a player of Raskin’s profile — mobile, two-footed defensive cover with genuine creative upside — fits neatly into a squad preparing to compete on Europe’s biggest stage.
For Rangers, the financial terms of any deal will matter enormously. With Raskin now entering the final two years of his contract, the club is understood to be holding out for a fee in the region of £20million to sanction his departure — a substantial valuation that reflects both his performance level and Rangers’ awareness that his existing deal, while not immediately expiring, is short enough to create some genuine urgency on Betis’s part to get a deal completed this summer rather than risk negotiating from a weaker position in twelve months’ time.
Why McInnes Is Willing to Let Him Go
Perhaps the most striking element of this situation is not that Real Betis want Raskin, but that Rangers appear genuinely willing to sanction the sale. Only twelve months ago, with the club still searching for a foothold in the title race, moving on one of the squad’s most consistent performers might have looked unthinkable. Now, under a new manager with his own ideas about how the team should be built, the calculus looks rather different.
McInnes, by most accounts, is approaching the rebuild with a clear willingness to reshape the squad rather than simply patch it. Losing a player of Raskin’s calibre is never entirely without risk, but the manager appears to have concluded that Rangers currently possess enough central midfield depth to absorb the blow without needing to bring in a direct like-for-like replacement. Mohammed Diomande, Tochi Chukwuani, Lyall Cameron, Conor Barron and new arrival Dan Neil are all understood to be viewed as options capable of covering the midfield positions Raskin would vacate, giving McInnes the confidence to prioritise a substantial transfer fee over squad continuity in this particular position.
That fee, crucially, is not expected to simply sit in the bank. Rangers are believed to see a Raskin sale as a means of generating the funds required to strengthen other areas of the pitch that have been identified as higher priorities — namely the defence and the forward line, both departments McInnes appears determined to reinforce further before the window closes. In other words, this is not a sale being forced upon a reluctant manager by financial necessity; it looks instead like a calculated piece of squad engineering, converting value from a position of relative strength into resources for areas of greater need.
A Rebuild With Layers: Ferguson and Beyond
The Raskin situation cannot be viewed entirely in isolation. Rangers have also opened talks with Bologna over a move for Lewis Ferguson, another significant midfield storyline running in parallel this summer. While the specifics of that pursuit remain separate from the Raskin sale, the timing is difficult to ignore — a club actively negotiating both an outgoing midfielder to a Champions League side and an incoming one from Serie A within the same transfer window is a club very obviously in the process of recalibrating its entire midfield unit, not simply reacting to outside interest as it arrives.
There have also been reports, separate from this immediate story, of Rangers holding talks over another significant midfield addition — described in some quarters as an “incredible,” award-winning talent — further reinforcing the sense that McInnes has identified central midfield as an area where quality needs to be maintained even as personnel changes around it. Taken together, these threads paint a picture of a rebuild being conducted with real intent: sell for value where the depth allows it, reinvest decisively, and ensure the overall level of the squad does not dip even as individual faces change.
What Rangers Lose, and What They Hope to Gain
There is no getting around the fact that losing Raskin represents the departure of a genuinely outstanding performer. Since his 2023 arrival from Standard Liège, he has developed into one of the most reliable presences in the Rangers side, someone capable of dictating games from deep, covering ground relentlessly, and chipping in with goals and assists that elevated him above the level of a purely defensive midfielder. Replacing that kind of all-round contribution is never straightforward, regardless of how much cover exists on paper elsewhere in the squad.
Yet there is a reasonable footballing argument for the direction Rangers appear to be taking. Last season’s trophyless campaign exposed weaknesses in multiple areas of the pitch, not solely midfield, and a considerable transfer fee — potentially rising toward £20million — offers the kind of resources capable of making a genuine difference in defence and attack, the two areas McInnes is understood to be prioritising most. If that investment is spent well, Rangers may end up a more balanced, more complete side even without Raskin in the engine room, particularly given the depth already assembled behind him.
There is also a symbolic dimension to a sale of this size. A fee in the region of £20million, should it be achieved, would represent a significant statement about the growth in value Rangers have been able to generate from a player signed for a comparatively modest fee back in 2023. In an era where Scottish clubs are frequently characterised as selling clubs by necessity rather than choice, turning a shrewd piece of recruitment into a genuinely substantial profit is the kind of outcome that strengthens the argument for continued investment in player development and scouting, even as it removes a popular figure from the pitch.
The Road Ahead
Nothing is finalised yet. Real Betis have opened talks, not concluded a deal, and Rangers’ reported valuation of around £20million gives some indication of how much room for negotiation likely remains before any transfer is completed. The presence of Italian interest in the background adds a further layer of uncertainty — should talks with Betis stall, or should a rival offer arrive that better satisfies Rangers’ valuation, the destination for Raskin’s next chapter could yet shift.
What does seem clear, however, is the direction of travel. A player once seen as untouchable amid Rangers’ struggles now appears set to leave with the blessing, rather than the reluctance, of the club’s new manager — evidence of just how significant a reset McInnes is attempting at Ibrox this summer. Whether that reset ultimately delivers the kind of consistent success that has eluded Rangers in recent campaigns remains to be seen, but for now, all eyes at Ibrox are on how quickly a deal for one of the club’s most talented midfielders of recent years can be finalised, and just as importantly, on how wisely the proceeds end up being spent once it is.
