A player trading model at Glasgow Rangers has been largely non-existent over the previous few years.
The club’s rivals at the other end of the city have sold some of their prized assets when the iron is hot, raking in massive profits in the process.
Indeed, the likes of Kieran Tierney, Jota and Matt O’Riley were all sold for just over £75m. Combine this with the financial rewards on offer in the Champions League, and it is clear to see why Celtic are light years ahead of the Gers, from a financial viewpoint at least.
Under Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Rangers sold Nathan Patterson for £16m in January 2022 to Everton.
A few months later, Joe Aribo was offloaded to Southampton for a fee in the region of £10m, while Calvin Bassey became the club’s record sale, moving to Ajax in a deal worth up to £23m.
Since then, the Ibrox side have allowed the contracts of Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos to expire. At one time, they were considered the two most bankable stars in the team.
Last summer, it was revealed that the club brought in just £800k, despite selling Sam Lammers, Connor Goldson, Todd Cantwell and Scott Wright.
Russell Martin must ensure the Gers are selling players at their peak in order to receive the highest possible fee.
Hamza Igamane and Mohamed Diomande have been linked with a move away from Glasgow this summer. It makes sense for Martin to try and hold onto them as long as possible, however.
The case might be different for Nico Raskin. The Belgian was arguably the club’s best player throughout 2024/25. As such, he should command a high fee this summer amid reported interest.
Why Rangers could sell Nico Raskin this summer
Not only did the midfielder take the captaincy at times last season when James Tavernier was injured, he also secured his maiden national team call-up.
Raskin made his debut for Belgium in March against Ukraine and was called up again for the World Cup qualifiers against North Macedonia and Wales recently.
Last month, it was revealed that Aston Villa and Leeds United were showing interest in the former Standard Liege starlet.
Amid this growing interest from the Premier League, TEAMtalk stated that Rangers would expect at least £25m in order to sell Raskin this summer.
This type of money could go a long way, especially as Martin looks set to rebuild a squad that failed to win a trophy last season.
On the other hand, if Raskin stays and enjoys another good season, plus shines for Belgium at the 2026 World Cup, he could potentially attract an even bigger bid.
Much for the new manager to ponder, that’s for sure. What he must do this summer is bring in another midfielder or two in case Raskin does leave the club.
With that in mind, it appears as though the Glasgow giants are after an English starlet who played in the Championship last term.
Rangers search for a midfielder
Martin has set his sights on Flynn Downes this summer in a bid to improve his midfield options. The Southampton star played under the Scot and would be a solid addition to the first team squad at Ibrox.
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Another player who could make the move is Saints midfielder Shea Charles. He also played under Martin last term and journalist Graeme Bailey is backing the Light Blues to make a move for him this summer amid interest from Leeds United.
“He’s an interesting one. It is more likely that he joins Rangers. He’s not on huge wages and obviously he played under Russell Martin at Southampton.” said Bailey.
The Northern Irishman spent the 2024/25 campaign on loan at Sheffield Wednesday, with the 21-year-old – who joined the Saints for £15m in 2023 – enjoying a productive season.
Bringing in or two temporary signings could mean Martin uses his funds elsewhere. Should Raskin depart in the summer, Charles would be an instant replacement for the Belgian dynamo at the heart of the Rangers midfield.
Why Rangers should sign Shea Charles
Charles played all but three league games for the Owls last term, notching one goal and five assists in the process.
He typically operated in a defensive midfield slot and exuded plenty of the qualities which made Raskin enjoy such a fine season.
When compared to his positional peers in the Championship throughout 2024/25, Charles ranked in the top 9% for interceptions (1.46) per 90, while also ranking in the top 19% for tackles (2.68) per 90 and 7% for percentage of dribblers challenged (63.9%) per 90.
This no-nonsense approach allows Charles to win the ball back once his team have lost it, where he is then able to move it on and start an attack.
The Irishman also won an impressive 6.5 total duels per game last term – a success rate of 59% – while recovering 5.7 balls per game in the second tier.
Amid the interest in the youngster, analyst Kai Watson heaped plenty of praise on the midfielder, saying that “he can do everything”, as a result of his “great physical and technical profile”.
It would be an interesting move to secure the services of the highly-rated player, especially as Leeds United are seemingly keen.
He would add defensive solidity to the midfield and, if Raskin is sold, the midfielder would be an ideal replacement. For that there is no doubt.
Will Martin act swiftly in a bid to bring his former player north of the border? As mentioned, a permanent move may be hard to pull off.
A loan deal, however, could work out perfectly for all parties involved. Charles gets the chance to play in Europe and challenge for trophies, while Rangers manage to utilise a talented young player who could add plenty to the squad.
It’s a no-brainer.
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