Rangers and Besiktas Reach Verbal Agreement for Nicolas Raskin
Rangers are braced for a late twist to their season’s early narrative, with Nicolas Raskin edging towards the Ibrox exit door after a verbal agreement was reached with Besiktas.
Transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano reported on Wednesday morning that Rangers and the Turkish club have agreed a deal in principle for the Belgium international. The move now hangs on the player himself and whether he is ready to swap Glasgow for Istanbul, with talks ongoing as the clock ticks down.
The Turkish window stays open until Friday, long after most of Europe has shut up shop. That gives Besiktas a clear run at Raskin, even as Rangers juggle their own deadlines. Derek McInnes has until 5pm on Thursday to strengthen a squad already playing catch-up in the Scottish Premiership, with only four points taken from a possible nine.
This is not the scenario Rangers envisaged at the start of the summer. Raskin, who arrived in the January 2023 window and quickly became a fans’ favourite, delivered big moments in a Rangers shirt and racked up 50 appearances in all competitions last season. Yet his future has loomed over the opening weeks of the campaign.
Twice in three league matches he has been left out of the squad entirely, a glaring omission for a 25-year-old who was expected to kick on after starring at the World Cup for Belgium. The assumption around Ibrox was that a major move would materialise early in the window. It never did. Interest flickered rather than burned, and the deadline for most major European leagues came and went without a firm bid.
Turkey has changed that.
Besiktas have now made their move, and all sides are pushing to find a resolution. For many inside the club, it feels like the right moment for a clean break. Raskin appears ready for the next step in his career; Rangers, under a new manager and with a remodelled midfield, are already evolving without him.
McInnes has consistently praised the midfielder’s attitude amid the noise. Speaking recently, the Rangers boss underlined the Belgian’s professionalism.
“Nico's been first-class since he came back from the World Cup – he's been good as gold, he's trained brilliantly,” McInnes said. “Obviously there's been a lot of chat about potential interest and there's been a lot of conversations had with the club and prospective buyers.
“But, until an offer comes in that the club need to consider, Nico just has to knuckle down and train.
“I’ve no doubts that, if the window closes and Nico's still a Rangers player, he'll give brilliant service as he's done previously. He's getting interest because he's a good player. I want to work with good players. We just need to wait and see how things develop.”
Those developments are now arriving fast. If Raskin agrees terms and gives the green light to Istanbul, Rangers must decide whether to dip back into the market or trust what they already have. Three central midfielders have come through the door this summer: Cammy Devlin, Dan Neil and Vanja Dragojevic. On paper, the numbers are there. The question is whether the quality and balance are.
Rangers’ early league stumbles have already tightened the margin for error in the title race. Celtic and the rest of the chasing pack will be watching closely to see how McInnes reshapes his side if one of his most talented midfielders walks away before the week is out.
The agreement with Besiktas is only verbal for now. The real decision lies with Raskin. Does he stay and fight to reclaim his place at Ibrox, or does he gamble on a fresh start on the Bosphorus as Rangers’ season gathers speed without him?
