MusaThe focus for Rangers right now is firmly on the Premiership title race, but Danny Rohl will also have one eye on what promises to be another pivotal summer transfer window at Ibrox.
With the season drawing to a close, the Gers face crucial decisions regarding the future of their current squad.
Will this mark the end of James Tavernier’s time at the club? Will Rangers fork out to make Andreas Skov Olsen’s move permanent? Can they secure an extended stay for loan sensation Mikey Moore?
Among those growing list of dilemmas is the future of Belgian midfielder Nicolas Raskin, who now has just over a year remaining on his contract.
As one of the team’s leaders, Rohl may look to persuade the former Standard Liège man to sign an extension—but could this summer be the ideal moment to sell?
Why the Livingston performance should be the final straw for Raskin
Ever since his arrival in January 2023, speculation over Raskin’s future at Ibrox has persisted, with rumours likely to intensify again following this summer’s World Cup.
There’s no denying his talent—Nils Koppen even labelled him the “best midfielder in Scotland” last year amid interest from Leeds United. But is he truly irreplaceable?
According to analyst Kai Watson, there’s a legitimate debate over whether Raskin is actually “what Rangers need as that deepest lying midfielder”—a point underlined in Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Livingston.
As Watson noted, it’s often difficult to pinpoint exactly what Rangers’ number 43 brings to the side. He frequently falls short in attack and doesn’t offer much as a ball-winner out of possession either.
Against Livingston, for instance, Raskin registered 77 touches but failed to deliver a single key pass from his deep role and managed only two progressive carries all match.
Defensively, he didn’t win a single tackle, won just three of eight total duels, and gave the ball away ten times. He may consider himself fortunate that there are few genuine alternatives to replace him in that central role.
However, with Tochi Chukwuani impressing alongside him in recent weeks, Rohl must surely consider making a change—one that comes at Raskin’s expense, not Chukwuani’s.
£6m-rated Ibrox star could be the ideal Raskin replacement
For much of this season and even before, Raskin has been a mainstay in midfield, often partnered with one other. But his status as an automatic starter should now be under threat.
With the Old Firm derby on the horizon, it might be time for Rohl to experiment with a new midfield pairing of Chukwuani and Mohamed Diomande—the latter deserving of a more prominent role.
Diomande, who set up Raskin for the opener against Motherwell at Fir Park, didn’t even make it off the bench on Sunday. Valued at €7m (£6m) by Transfermarkt, he was an unused substitute as Ryan Naderi came on for Chukwuani in an attacking second-half reshuffle.
The Ivorian, who played just ten minutes in the 4-2 win over Hearts, had previously recorded back-to-back assists and now has four goal involvements in the Premiership this season.
Once hailed as a “complete” midfielder by analyst John Walker, Diomande brings genuine athleticism and all-action quality to the centre of the park, and has also featured as a number ten recently.
Diomande – 24/25 vs 25/26 PL stats
Stat 24/25 25/26
Games 36 24
Goals 4 1
Assists 7 3
Big chances created 11 2
Key passes* 1.2 0.6
Pass accuracy* 87% 86%
Dribbles* 0.9 0.5
Total duels won* 55% 50%
Ball lost* 8.4 7.5
Fouls won* 1.8 1.1
That shift to a playmaking role could allow Rohl to incorporate the 24-year-old into the starting XI, with Chukwuani and Raskin behind him. However, fitness permitting, the number ten spot should now be Naderi’s to lose.
That likely leaves a straight fight between Raskin and Diomande for the deeper midfield role—and Sunday’s performance suggests a changing of the guard may be necessary.
Raskin has been a recurring talking point for years, but as shown at the weekend, he’s far from his best right now. With the in-demand Belgian seemingly destined to leave at season’s end, Rohl could accelerate the transition by replacing him with Diomande.
The trip to Livingston served as another reminder that Rangers still have work to do before they can consistently challenge for the Premiership title.
Musa
