Despite plenty of speculation over their futures at Ibrox, Nicolas Raskina and Mohamed Diomande both lined up for Glasgow Rangers in their first game of the season on Tuesday.
The duo both started and both registered assists in a 2-0 win over Panathinaikos at Ibrox in the first leg of the club’s second round Champions League qualifier.
It remains to be seen if Diomande, who assisted Djeidi Gassama’s goal, will still be in Glasgow at the end of the summer transfer window, though, amid interest from Besiktas.
The Turkish giants have already had one offer turned down for the central midfielder, and are reportedly expected to go back in with a second bid for the Ivorian star.
Why Mohamed Diomande is important to Rangers
Russell Martin may not want to lose the left-footed star, though, because he is an important player who provides quality in and out of possession in the middle of the park.
In the 2024/25 campaign, Diomande scored four goals, created 11 ‘big chances’, and registered seven assists in the Scottish Premiership for the Light Blues, which shows that he offered a strong threat at the top end of the pitch.
The 23-year-old talent also showcased his defensive talent in the Europa League, making 3.0 tackles and interceptions per game and winning 54% of his duels overall.
These statistics show that Diomande is important to Rangers as a midfielder who can impact games at both ends of the pitch, but the Gers could forget all about him with a move for Salvatore Esposito.
Why Rangers should sign Salvatore Esposito
It was reported earlier this month that the Light Blues are one of the clubs in the race to sign the Spezia central midfielder, who is valued at around £5m by his club.
The 24-year-old midfield star is the kind of signing that could make supporters forget all about Diomande, if the Ivorian whiz moves on to Besiktas, or elsewhere, this summer.
That is not a disservice to Diomande, of course, who has been a fantastic player for Rangers, but it speaks to the kind of quality that the Italian ace could offer in the middle of the park.
|
24/25 season |
Diomande (Premiership) |
Esposito (Serie B) |
|---|---|---|
|
Appearances |
36 |
34 |
|
Goals |
4 |
7 |
|
Big chances created |
11 |
18 |
|
Assists |
7 |
9 |
|
Duels won per game |
4.4 |
7.3 |
|
Ground duel success rate |
57% |
68% |
|
Aerial duel success rate |
48% |
51% |
As you can see in the table above, Esposito significantly outperformed the Rangers star at league level last season, offering more to his team in possession and defensively.
Whilst he is unproven in the Scottish Premiership, the Spezia star appears to have the potential to provide more quality, as both a scorer and a creator of goals, in the final third, whilst also being stronger and more efficient in his duels off the ball.
The Italy international was described as a “tenacious” midfield “controller” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, and his statistics from the 2024/25 Serie B campaign back those comments up, as he excelled in duels and offered quality on the ball.
Esposito is the kind of box-to-box midfielder that Rangers will desperately need if they lose Diomande this summer, which is why this is a signing that could make a lot of sense for Martin in the coming weeks if it becomes clear that the Ivorian gem is going to be on his way out of Ibrox.
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Whilst the Gers would like to keep their current number ten, the Spezia star is a player who has the quality and pedigree, as an Italian international, to make the Light Blues forget all about Diomande.
