Ferguson did not leave much room for ambiguity. “If you look at the squad, the glaring one is Nico Raskin,” he said. “He had a really good World Cup for Belgium. Is he going to stay or going to go? You’d be looking at between £15m-£20m for Nico Raskin.”
That number is significant because it frames Raskin not as a useful sale, but as a premium one. With the midfielder under contract until the summer of 2028, Rangers are not under obvious pressure to accept the first serious bid that arrives. If interest from Villarreal or Real Betis becomes concrete, the Scottish club would appear to hold the stronger negotiating position.
The key point is that admiration is not the same as an agreement. Raskin has been linked with a move, but nothing in the current picture says an exit is imminent. That is why Ferguson’s stance matters: it sets a tone.
“He’s worth at least that (£20m),” Ferguson said. “If Arne Engels is going for more than £25m, come on. Nico is better than Arne Engels.”
It is a classic football argument - market value is often shaped by what comparable players are fetching elsewhere. Whether Rangers agree fully with Ferguson’s comparison, they will surely agree on the broader point: if Raskin goes, it has to be for top-end money.
“I think Rangers have got a price in their head and if that is met (he’ll go),” Ferguson said. “It will be interesting to see if it actually does happen.” That is the real watchpoint now. Rangers need focus on their European job, but the Raskin question is unlikely to disappear before the next major twist in the window.