Rangers Turn Down Besiktas Offer for Nicolas Raskin

The Rejected Bid

Rangers, the Scottish Premiership club based at Ibrox in Glasgow, have rejected an offer from Turkish side Besiktas for midfielder Nicolas Raskin, according to STV Sport.

STV News reports that Besiktas made their approach late on Wednesday night, and that no agreement could be reached between the two clubs. Besiktas have slightly more time to work with, as the Turkish transfer window closes on Friday rather than Thursday for Scottish clubs.

The Belgium international joined Rangers from Standard Liege in January 2023 on a four-and-a-half-year contract. The 25-year-old was widely expected to be sold after starring at the World Cup, but BBC Sport reports that no bids have yet piqued Rangers' interest.

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McInnes on Raskin's Conduct

Raskin sat out Rangers' last two matches, missing the match-day squad entirely. STV News reports he is expected to feature in the squad for Wednesday's game against Falkirk.

Manager Derek McInnes, speaking to Sky Sports, defended the player's attitude. "Nico's been first-class since he came back from the World Cup, he's been good as gold, he's trained brilliantly," he said.

McInnes acknowledged the speculation directly. "Obviously, there's been a lot of chat about potential interest, and there's been a lot of conversations had with the club and prospective buyers. But until an offer comes in that the club need to consider, Nico just has to knuckle down and train."

He added that he had no doubts Raskin would give brilliant service if the window closed with him still at the club. "He's getting interest because he's a good player. I want to work with good players. We just need to wait and see how things develop."

One More Signing Expected

On incoming players, McInnes indicated Rangers are likely to make just one more signing before Thursday's deadline. Kevin Kelsy, a 22-year-old Venezuelan forward, is reportedly close to a move from Portland Timbers, according to BBC Sport.

Kelsy appears to be the club's choice as a replacement for Youssef Chermiti, who suffered a long-term injury last month, just as the Portuguese forward was the subject of major transfer interest.

"We're still working hard to get one in at the minute," McInnes said. "We're getting closer on that one, but we believe it's only going to be the one in." He said a striker arriving would help alleviate the disappointment of Chermiti's injury, adding that the club had to weigh everything up financially and in terms of squad numbers.

Rangers have already signed 12 players over the summer, in addition to recruiting McInnes himself from Heart of Midlothian. Whether any further offer for Raskin arrives before the deadline is not yet known.