Standard Liege's Nicolas Raskin celebrates scoring their first goal
Rangers new boy Nicolas Raskin has been dubbed a “massive gamechanger” at Ibrox by journalist Stevie Clifford.
The Lowdown: Raskin arrival
Rangers completed the signing of the centre-midfielder on deadline day for a reported £1.7m plus future incentives, with the ex-Standard Liege ace’s contract set to expire at the end of the season (via Daily Record).
The Gers fended off interest from European giants such as Napoli, Marseille and Stuttgart, who were reportedly outbid by Michael Beale’s side.
Raskin made his Gers bow in the last seven minutes of the 2-1 home win against Ross County in the SPFL last Saturday and could well be in line to make his full debut against Scottish Championship side Partick Thistle in the Scottish FA Cup this weekend.
The Latest: Clifford’s excitement
Speaking on The Rangers Review, Clifford revealed his excitement surrounding the 21-year-old’s addition to the team and how he could make Beale’s team a different proposition for the rest of the campaign.
He said: “I really am excited about Nicolas Raskin and I think that he could be a massive gamechanger for us in terms of what we have. And just picture this – when we go to games and you maybe get a Jack–Kamara or a Kamara–Lundstram [setup] and things like that, people are like, ‘I feel like this is too defensive’.”
“We spoke about the different dynamic of a partnership that might involve Raskin because if he suddenly becomes one of those two, with his energy and his desire to go forward and wanting to make things as well as being a defensive type of player, those players are so hard to find.”
The Verdict: Exciting addition
Raskin’s arrival may be just what the doctor ordered at Rangers with him stepping into an engine room that has seen injury lay-offs for Ryan Jack and Glen Kamara, as well as a long-term blow for Steven Davis, which will see him miss the remainder of the campaign (Rangers).
The Belgium U21 international registered 18 goal involvements at his previous club Standard Liege, making his senior debut at just 16 years, 11 months and 18 days for Gent in the Jupiler Pro League.
With the Gers currently chasing down a nine-point deficit at the top of the SPFL, Raskin could prove the man to give them an edge to at least draw them closer to the runaway leaders, as well as a youthful prospect for Beale to mould his side around should he live up to the billing.
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