There are reports reaching Ibrox Noise’s desk this morning, based on widely reported developments in Spain, that Rangers have agreed a €20M deal with Villarreal for Nico Raskin. This has come from a local newspaper in the Villarreal region. It claims the price has been agreed and they are now looking like the frontrunners.
Doubts over the valuation
Ibrox Noise has a major level of doubt about the veracity of this report, given that the club is well known to want in considerable excess of €20M. That would be around £17M, which is definitely a heck of a lot less than what Raskin is worth.
Let us not forget Raskin had a shining World Cup. After a slightly slow start, in which he did not play, he became a mainstay. He also had one or two benchmark displays out in the USA. Consequently, the notion that Raskin would cost only £17M does seem a little optimistic by the local media.
Plenty of interest
As we know, Raskin has a lot of interest in him. In the Premier League alone, Manchester United and Aston Villa are most certainly keeping tabs on his availability. In Spain, as we know, there is Villarreal and, of course, Real Betis. There is also Atalanta and Bologna, not to mention Inter in Italy. One or two other clubs have been keeping tabs on Raskin as well.
So the idea that he would go for a fairly modest fee to one of these clubs does seem a bit unlikely. However, Villarreal also have a few financial issues. The notion that they have £17M to spend on one player seems a bit of a stretch as well. Local media have, however, made the claim. We will see if it turns out to be true.
A move looks inevitable
What is absolutely clear is that there is zero chance Raskin will remain at Rangers. A few fans do, of course, wish to retain his services. But the fact is the lad has many times said he plans to move on.
This World Cup was to be his showcase to prove his talent and get his move. In all fairness, he seems to have done that. But all eyes are now on how much Rangers can get and, indeed, secondarily, where he actually goes.
We would imagine his first choice would be the Premier League and Manchester United or Aston Villa, or any other side south of the border. However, it is not necessarily deemed that they will make a tangible offer. Time will tell on that one. For now, Raskin remains on holiday, taking a break from his World Cup endeavours. We will see where his football destination ends up being.