There have not been many positives this season for Glasgow Rangers. The Ibrox side won’t win any domestic silverware, trailing their arch-rivals by 16 points in the Premiership title race, also being knocked out of the Scottish and League Cups.
Barry Ferguson did mastermind a 3-1 victory over Fenerbahce in the Europa League first leg of their last-16 clash, but even the most optimistic Rangers supporter will feel glory in Europe is beyond them.
Vaclav Cerny has been a hit since joining the club on loan from Wolfsburg, scoring 17 goals in all competitions, although finances will likely prevent the Gers from securing his signature on a permanent basis.
Hamza Igamane has also been another bright spark for the club. Costing just £1.7m from Moroccan side AS FAR last summer, the 22-year-old has since netted 13 goals in all competitions, despite this season being the first outside his native Africa.
One of the most underrated players since he returned to the starting XI in October has been Nico Raskin.
The Belgian has missed only two games between September and the time of writing, establishing himself as a key member of the team.
How Nico Raskin has grown in importance at Ibrox
Against Celtic at the start of the year, Raskin was given the captaincy due to James Tavernier missing the game through injury.
During the 3-0 victory, Raskin provided an assist while also making two key passes, creating a big chance and winning 60% of his ground duels throughout the game.
He controlled the midfield, making four interceptions and three tackles which nullified Celtic and contributed to the stunning Old Firm win.
The midfielder has struggled with his injury problems during his first year or so at the club, but his performances this season have proved he is now indispensable to any future success at Ibrox.
Raskin may not offer too much in the final third, but in terms of providing effective support in the heart of the midfield, he has been crucial.
In the Premiership, the Belgian has averaged 3.6 tackles per game, along with averaging 7.8 ball recoveries, 1.6 interceptions and 1.4 clearances each match in the top flight.
If he continues this current form until the end of the campaign, the new manager might have to fend off interest from other clubs this summer.
Indeed, these impressive performances for the Light Blues have seen Raskin’s market value soar since joining the club.
According to Transfermarkt, the Belgian is currently worth around £5.5m and this value should only continue to rise over the coming months ahead of the summer transfer window.
He has the highest market valuation in the entire squad apart from Cerny, who will depart this summer once his loan spell ends.
Whoever comes in to take charge of the Gers ahead of the 2025/26 campaign must utilise Raskin in his desired position, as he could be an ideal choice to take over the captaincy from Tavernier, especially following his display against Celtic in January.
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Having also starred in continental competition, shining against Fener last week and standing out against Spurs, he’s certainly following in the path of a Europa League hero from a few years ago.
Rangers' European hero is now worth less than Raskin
Joe Aribo may have only been at the club for three seasons, yet he developed from a raw talent to a player who scored in a major European final.
Glimpses of his talent were on show during the Gers title-winning 2020/21 campaign, where he registered 15 goal contributions – eight goals and seven assists – as the club went the entire league season undefeated.
2023/24
40
4
1
2022/23
27
2
0
2021/22
57
9
10
2020/21
43
8
7
2019/20
49
9
8
2018/19
39
10
5
2017/18
34
6
3
2016/17
22
0
7
From a personal point of view, the following season was even better. Indeed, the Nigeria international scored nine goals while chipping in with ten assists across all competitions, helping the Gers reach the 2022 Europa League final.
He opened the scoring in that match against Eintracht Frankfurt, becoming just the fourth player in the club’s history to score in a European final. Unfortunately, Rangers lost the game on penalties to the German side.
With Giovanni van Bronckhorst needing to raise some funds that summer in order to bring in the players he wanted, a few were moved on.
How Joe Aribo is playing in 2025
Calvin Bassey departed the Ibrox side in 2022, with Ajax signing him for a club-record fee after an impressive campaign.
This bolstered the coffers, but when Southampton came in for Aribo, a deal was concluded that could rise to around £10m, and it was too good to turn down, that’s for sure.
This fee proved to be a significant profit on the midfielder, although they would have a big gap to fill.
Aribo hasn’t exactly proved his worth on the south coast, however, struggling to adapt at times.
The “exceptional” gem – as so dubbed by his manager Ivan Juric recently – scored just twice for the Saints in his first season.
He helped them secure a place back in the Premier League last term, defeating Leeds United in the playoff final, but they look set to drop back down into the second tier.
Now part of a team that could end with the fewest points in Premier League history, Aribo has netted three top-flight goals. As a result, his value has decreased since making his move south of the border three years ago.
Now, according to Transfermarkt, Aribo is currently worth £5m and if he fails to perform in the Championship next term, this could drop even lower.
This valuation is even lower than Raskin’s at the time of writing, indicating that the Gers have struck gold by selling Aribo when they did, maximising the best possible transfer fee for the former Charlton Athletic midfielder.
The new manager will be aiming to bring in his own players for cheap, before making millions on them after a few years at Ibrox. That’s a certainty.
49ers must move on Rangers star who earns more than Raskin & Hagi
Rangers should move on from the reportedly highly-paid star in the summer window.
ByDan EmeryMar 10, 2025
