Glasgow Rangers central midfielder Nicolas Raskin is facing an uncertain future at Ibrox in the summer transfer window, amid interest from a host of clubs.
Plenty of teams south of the border have all been linked with an interest in the midfielder in recent weeks.
It would be a big blow for Russell Martin to lose the Belgian this summer, after the 24-year-old Rangers star racked up five goals and 11 assists in the Scottish Premiership and the Europa League combined last term.
However, Raskin is not the only player who the new Gers boss should be concerned about losing, as an offer has reportedly been made for another one of his key stars.
Offer submitted for Rangers star
Whilst the likes of Mohamed Diomande and Hamza Igamane have also been linked with moves away from Ibrox this summer, there is no interest in one of the club’s defenders.
According to Turkish journalist Yağız Sabuncuoğlu, Trabzonspor are interested in a deal to snap up Glasgow Rangers central defender John Souttar ahead of next season.
The reporter claims that the Super Lig side, who have John Lundstram and Borna Barisic in their squad, have submitted an offer to tempt the Light Blues into cashing in on the Scotland international.
However, there is no mention of how much money has been put on the table by the European club, or whether or not Rangers would be willing to sell the former Hearts man this summer.
Why Rangers should keep John Souttar
The Gers should reject this offer from Trabzonspor in order to keep Souttar at Ibrox ahead of next season, as he is as important as Raskin to the team.
He is a leader and a strong presence at the back for the Light Blues, as a proven Premiership performer at the heart of the defence, and should be the player Martin builds the defence around.
Souttar, who was hailed for his “vintage” performances for Scotland by Andy Robertson, was the best centre-back at the club in the 2024/25 campaign, ahead of Robin Propper, as a dominant defensive force.
|
24/25 Premiership |
John Souttar |
Robin Propper |
|---|---|---|
|
Appearances |
24 |
27 |
|
Clearances per game |
6.1 |
4.0 |
|
Dribbled past per game |
0.1x |
0.4x |
|
Long pass accuracy |
69% |
46% |
|
Ground duel success rate |
74% |
62% |
|
Aerial duel success rate |
66% |
64% |
As you can see in the table above, the Scottish titan was significantly better than the Dutch flop, as he was dribbled past fewer times per game and dominated opposition attackers with more efficiency.
Souttar also won 68% of his duels across ten appearances in the Europa League, making 6.6 clearances per game, which shows that he was also dominant on the European stage against high-quality opposition.
The 28-year-old colossus, who is in the prime years of his career, may not be as flashy and exciting as Raskin, who scores and assists goals at an impressive rate, but he is just as important to the team because of his reliable defensive work week-in-week-out.
Souttar is experienced, but not old, and can be counted on to deliver consistent performances when he is available to play, which is not something that should be overlooked as Rangers look to build a team to compete for the Premiership title.
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The Light Blues need experienced and dependable stars to help the younger players in the squad to settle in and adapt to playing regularly in the Premiership, which is why Souttar is so important for Martin and why the club should reject Trabzonspor’s offer.
