Glasgow Rangers not only returned to winning ways over the weekend, but the Ibrox side clawed some vital ground back in the Premiership title race.
Indeed, the Light Blues were the only club in the top three to secure all three points over the weekend, as Celtic drew with Dundee United and Aberdeen lost to Hibs.
While the performance might not have been the best, the 1-0 win over Dundee allowed the Gers to build momentum ahead of a busy spell which sees the club play four games over the next two weeks.
By then, the January transfer window will be in full swing, and it is clear Philippe Clement is aiming to bolster his squad ahead of the second half of the season.
It appears as though the Belgian is looking to turn to his homeland in order to secure his first winter signing, with Rangers showing interest in their next Nico Raskin…
Nico Raskin’s statistics for Rangers this season
The midfielder made an impression under Michael Beale, but injury problems last season meant he couldn’t really force his way into Clement’s first-team squad on a consistent basis.
He missed several games at the start of the current campaign, but since regaining full fitness, Raskin has grown into the side and is now arguably one of the most important members of the team.
The Belgian has started the previous four Europa League clashes, while the last time he failed to start a league clash was back in mid-October. The club’s performances have improved of late, and it is no secret a large part of that is down to him and his ability to control games from the middle of the pitch.
Domestically, Raskin averages a 90% pass success rate per game along with averaging 0.8 key passes per game and has created two big chances.
His defensive abilities are certainly his most impressive skillset. By averaging 3.5 tackles per game, Raskin’s tenacious side is regularly on show. Combine this with the fact that he wins five ground duels per game – a success rate of 65% – and it is evident that not much gets past the player.
If he can maintain these levels of performance over the next few months, there will be plenty of interest in the midfielder when the summer transfer window opens, no doubt about that.
Perhaps this man could be the ideal replacement if that eventuality does occur…
Rangers looking at Raskin 2.0
According to Belgian outlet Walfoot (via The Daily Record), the Light Blues have reportedly been gathering information on Standard Liege midfielder Isaac Price as they potentially weigh up making a move for the player in January.
The Belgian side will demand a fee of around £3m for the former Everton graduate, who only moved to Standard in 2023.
Oscar Cortes
Lens (loan)
Fabio Silva
Wolves (loan)
Mohamed Diomande
FC Nordsjaelland (loan)
Todd Cantwell
Norwich City
Nico Raskin
Standard Liege
James Sands
New York City (loan)
Amad Diallo
Man Utd (loan)
Aaron Ramsey
Juventus (loan)
Mateusz Zukowski
Lechia Gdansk
Scott Wright
Aberdeen
Ross McCausland may be able to give them some extra information on the Irishman as the two are teammates at international level, and it could well be an interesting signing should they make a move in the coming weeks.
It won’t be the first time that the Gers have shopped in Belgium, as Raskin joined from Standard in January 2023. It may have taken him 18 months to finally start demonstrating his true class, but it appears as though his signing is an inspired one, with his performances of late ensuring he has cemented a regular place in the starting XI.
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Therefore, the idea of repeating that move could be an inspired one.
Why Isaac Price would be a good signing for Rangers
Price may not have made the grade at Everton, but he was still good enough to feature twice in the Premier League for the Toffees before moving to Belgium in 2023.
Prior to moving to the continent, Price even made his international debut for Northern Ireland, despite not being a regular at Everton and he was praised by journalist Joe Thomas at the time, who said:
“Made up for Isaac Price to get his senior international debut tonight. A talented player who really believes in himself.”
The youngster went on to make 39 appearances for Standard across all competitions, scoring once and grabbing two assists as he finally began to perform consistently at first-team level and live up to the “tremendous” billing he was given by Everton U21 boss Paul Tait.
So far this term, Price has made 21 appearances for the Belgian side and has shone across a range of metrics. Going forward, he has created four big chances, averages 1.1 key passes per game and succeeds with 0.5 dribbles each match.
Passing wise, he could improve as he averages just a 70% success rate per game in the top flight, but this will surely improve with age. Defensively, the midfielder recovers 4.5 balls and makes two tackles per game, echoing the tenacious abilities of Raskin.
When compared to positional peers in leagues similar to the one he is playing in, the 21-year-old currently ranks in the top 13% for total shots (1.66), the top 20% for shot-creating actions (3.08), the top 17% for progressive carries (1.78) and the top 18% for touches in the opposition penalty area (1.82) per 90 over the previous 365 days.
A carry is considered progressive if the ball is moved towards the opponent’s goal at least 10 yards from its starting point or is carried into the penalty area.
These statistics clearly prove he is one of the finest players in these metrics when compared to those who play in the same position. Given his tender years, these numbers will only continue to improve as time goes on.
Does this warrant Clement and Rangers making a move for him in the next couple of weeks? If he can move on a few players to raise some funds, then Price could turn out to be an interesting signing, to say the least.
He is young, talented and has gone abroad to test himself, all qualities which could allow him to develop into a fine central midfielder over the next few years.
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