NafisaRangers appear to be on the verge of cashing in on one of their biggest stars, with reports suggesting Nicolas Raskin is closing in on a £17 million move to La Liga side Villarreal.
The Belgian midfielder has been one of Rangers’ standout performers since arriving at Ibrox and further enhanced his reputation with a series of impressive displays for Belgium at the World Cup. His performances have attracted interest from across Europe, but it now appears Spain will be his next destination.
According to reports, Villarreal have emerged as the favourites to secure the 25-year-old’s signature after accelerating talks over a deal worth around £17 million, beating off competition from several clubs linked with the midfielder.
Manchester United had previously been credited with monitoring Raskin’s progress, while newly-promoted Premier League side Hull City were also reported to have shown serious interest.
Hull are believed to have submitted an offer in the region of £12-14 million, but Rangers reportedly rejected that proposal, holding out for a significantly higher fee.
With Villarreal now prepared to meet Rangers’ valuation, the move is understood to be gathering momentum and could bring an end to Raskin’s three-and-a-half-year spell in Glasgow.
The Belgian is expected to return to Scotland following his World Cup commitments before the final stages of negotiations are completed.
Should the transfer go through, Raskin will leave Ibrox after making 145 appearances for the Light Blues, establishing himself as one of the club’s most influential midfielders.
Interest in the Rangers star has been building for months, but his performances on football’s biggest stage have only strengthened his reputation.
Football Insider correspondent Pete O’Rourke recently admitted Rangers were expecting major offers to arrive.
“I think there was interest in Nicolas Raskin even before his World Cup performances. They’ve only enhanced his reputation and I’m sure will bring more eyes onto the midfielder as well.
“He’s got two years left on his contract at Ibrox and Rangers are now bracing for offers in the summer transfer window, that has only increased now after the World Cup.
“For Raskin himself, if a big-money offer does arrive from a club in one of Europe’s top leagues, that is something he would like to explore.
“He’ll want to play at the highest level and continue what he’s done for Belgium at the World Cup, so look, I think it’s going to be really difficult for Rangers to keep hold of Raskin.”
If Raskin does complete the move, Rangers are expected to reinvest a large portion of the transfer fee into Derek McInnes’ squad.
The Ibrox club are already closing in on Partizan Belgrade captain Vanja Dragojevic, while negotiations also continue for Tromso midfielder Jens Hjerto-Dahl, who remains one of McInnes’ priority targets.
Rangers have already strengthened significantly this summer with the arrivals of Lawrence Shankland, Ben Godfrey, Ross McCrorie, Ivor Pandur, Dan Neil and Cammy Devlin, and further additions are expected before the transfer window closes.
Although losing Raskin would represent a major blow on the pitch, the sizeable transfer fee could provide McInnes with the financial flexibility needed to continue his ambitious rebuild as Rangers prepare for the new Scottish Premiership campaign.
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