Nico Raskin divides opinion, but for me there needs to be a bit of reality about what level he is actually at and what Rangers can genuinely expect to get for him.
He is playing in a side that has done very little in Europe recently and has just come through arguably its worst domestic campaign since returning to the top flight. Put that together with around 18 months left on his contract, and it is hard to see clubs throwing big money at him. I reckon Rangers would be doing well to get seven or eight million. Other teams can simply sit tight, wait out the contract and try to pick him up for nothing, especially when he is not exactly lighting up the SPFL every season.
Belgium Minutes Don’t Automatically Mean Star Quality
Some people point to his involvement with Belgium as proof that he is destined for a massive move, but I don’t buy that. He has been getting more game time largely because key players have been injured or not fully ready for their own first team football. That opens a door for squad players, it does not suddenly make them world class.
The real test will always be how much trust he is given in the biggest matches. In a major tournament, if Belgium have all their big-name midfielders fit and firing, I don’t see Raskin being a main man. I’d fully expect him to be used sparingly, if at all, and to spend most of the competition on the bench rather than dictating games. That tells you roughly where he sits in their pecking order. If he was genuinely at their level, he would not still be in a smaller league at 24.
More Holding Midfielder Than Creative Central Mid
Another big point for me is his actual position. I don’t see him as a proper central midfielder in the modern attacking sense that some Rangers fans talk about. He is not the type that is going to hit double figures for assists or chip in with goals every season.
When you look at the kind of player he has been in Belgium and for his national side, he looks far more like an out-and-out defensive midfielder. Breaks up play, covers ground, keeps it simple. There is absolutely a place for that, but if you are judging him as a CM, any club is going to expect a lot more output in the final third. That is the area he has consistently struggled with, and that is in what most would call a fairly average league standard-wise.
Why Italy Might Suit Him Better Than A ‘Big’ Club Move
Because of all that, I just cannot see him walking into a genuinely big European club the way some claim. He is too inconsistent, his end product is limited and he does not really fit that box-to-box or advanced CM profile top sides usually look for. But that does not mean he is a bad footballer.
In fact, I think he could do very well in the right environment. A league like Serie A, where tactical shape, defensive discipline and reading the game are valued, might suit him down to the ground. Sitting in front of a back line, screening, nipping in with interceptions, keeping the ball moving at a sensible tempo: that is his game. Used like that, his strengths would be properly showcased.
So for me it is about being realistic. Good player, useful at what he does, but not the superstar some want to paint him as. And with his contract running down and his current level, Rangers are unlikely to be looking at a blockbuster fee.
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