Four times. That’s how many times Turkish giant Beşiktaş has come knocking for Rangers midfielder Nicolas Raskin, and four times the move has fallen apart. But the latest attempt late in the summer window had the 25-year-old Belgian international mentally ready to fly out, a bombshell fact that should make every Rangers supporter hold their breath.
The Beşiktaş Saga Just Won’t Quit
Beşiktaş isn’t giving up, not one bit. Takvim, relayed via Sport Witness, reports they’re planning another push in January. These guys are persistent, even casting a wider net by also looking at West Ham defender Konstantinos Mavropanos. But Raskin remains their guy. He arrived from Standard Liège in January 2023 for a modest fee and has since become the absolute engine of that Ibrox midfield. His contract runs until 2028, and talk of a €15m price tag keeps circulating like wildfire. How close did he get to leaving? Way closer than most fans probably realized. Reports late in the summer window claimed Beşiktaş had a deal sorted, and Raskin truly appeared set to jet off. Then, boom, he turned up in the squad for the Falkirk game, played a full 90 minutes, and rejected the offer. He even admitted afterward that he’d been mentally ready to go, though he did call the matter closed at the time.
McInnes Is Stuck Between a Rock and a Hard Place
So, what’s a coach to do? Should Derek McInnes sell Raskin in January? If I’m McInnes, my gut says “no,” unless someone offers an absolutely ridiculous sum. Raskin is the one midfielder who can’t easily be replaced. He’s the guy who carries the ball out of tight spaces, who wins those critical second balls, and who already knows exactly what McInnes demands from him on the pitch. Selling midseason just means you’re hunting for a like-for-like option, and rival clubs will absolutely charge a premium because they know you’re desperate. That scenario rarely ends well for anyone.
Then there’s the mental game, the “head issue.” Raskin himself said he was ready to leave. A player with one foot out the door, even if he rejected the offer, can start to drift. McInnes would have to sit him down, lay out the plan straight, and then watch his training like a hawk. If Raskin’s standards slip even a little, the decision pretty much makes itself, doesn’t it? That €15m figure isn’t bad for a player who came in for a modest fee, but it’s no fortune either. A bigger league, maybe the Premier League or Serie A, could offer significantly more come summer, and Beşiktaş just can’t match that stage. McInnes, if he’s smart, will tell the board to hold firm. Only talk if a top-tier European club comes calling. Otherwise, Raskin stays, and the engine keeps running at Ibrox.
The January transfer window is bearing down, and Beşiktaş isn’t going to vanish. McInnes has made his stance clear, but the real question is whether he can truly keep a player whose head was already halfway out the door. Rangers fans will be glued to Raskin’s performances; how he plays in the coming months could very well decide if that €15m offer becomes a whole lot more tempting.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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