Rangers face a battle to retain the services of one of their prized assets this summer

Rangers midfielder Nicolas Raskin is believed to be the subject of strong interest from a number of different Premier League clubs as speculation surrounding the future of the highly-rated 24-year-old continues to intensify.

Raskin arrived at Ibrox back in January 2023 for a reported fee of around £1.32m plus additional bonuses. He’s more than lived up to that price tag since stepping foot in the blue side of Glasgow and has racked up 95 appearances in total for the Light Blues, with many of his best performances coming this season despite the club’s feeble attempts to dethrone Celtic in this year’s title race.

The former Standard Liege player has featured in 48 matches in total for Rangers, scoring five goals, including one in a memorable 3-2 win over Celtic while also contributing 11 assists in total.

Raskin primarily operates in a defensive midfield role and is known for being a tough-tackling enforcer in the centre of the park. However, his numbers prove that he can also be effective at the other end of the pitch, especially given the fact that he ended the season with three goals and four assists in five matches after the top six split.

Nicolas Raskin attracts Premier League interest

Former Sir Alex Ferguson confidante and well-renowned ex-football scout Mick Brown has claimed that several English clubs are likely to join the race to sign Nicolas Raskin from Rangers.

Brown told Football Insider that scouts from England’s top-flight have been attending Rangers matches throughout the campaign to keep tabs on Raskin’s progress as they weigh up a potential bid.

“Premier League sides have been looking at Raskin,” explained Brown

“English clubs are always keeping an eye on the best players in Scotland.

“They’ve had scouts watching him both in Scotland and in the Europa League as they try to figure out whether he’s ready for the step up. Rangers have had a really poor season, they’ve been so inconsistent.

“What the clubs need to figure out is whether he’s been part of that inconsistency or he’s involved in it but not one of the reasons for it. There are a few doubts because of the difference between the SPFL and the Premier League.

“That gap in quality is always growing, and especially with Rangers at the moment.So he’s certainly got admirers, but I’m not sure whether they’ll be ready to make a move.”

Which clubs are leading the race to sign Nicolas Raskin?

Rangers are all set to begin a new era of ownership, spearheaded by the San Francisco 49ers Group, who have already displayed some acumen in English football by helping Leeds United win promotion back into the Premier League after a two-season absence.

However, these links could play a role in deciding Raskin’s future at Ibrox, according to Football Insider, who claim that the newly promoted Yorkshire side could make a move for the Belgian.

It will undoubtedly test the new owners ambitions at Ibrox and how they are perceived by the fanbase from the word go. Likewise, Aston Villa in the past have been credited with interest as they aim to assemble a strong squad that can regain a place in the Champions League after a sixth place finish and a defeat to Man United denied them a place in Europe’s elite competition on the final day.