Rangers make enquiry to sign “intriguing” star

Glasgow Rangers are set to be in action at Ibrox on Tuesday night in the first leg of their second round Champions League qualifier.

It will be Russell Martin’s first game in charge of the Scottish Premiership giants, having arrived this summer, and he will be hoping for a positive result to take back to Greece next week.

Mohamed Diomande and Nicolas Raskin have both been named in the squad for the match and both look set to feature in the middle of the park for the Gers.

However, both players have also been linked with moves away from Ibrox. Real Betis have reportedly been offered a move for Raskin, whilst the Light Blues are bracing themselves for a bid from Besiktas for Diomande.

This means that it remains to be seen whether or not they will still be at Rangers by the time that the summer transfer window officially slams shut at the start of September.

Losing one or both of them would be a big blow for Martin because they were both impressive performers in the Premiership for the club last season.

Why losing Diomande and Raskin would be a big blow for Rangers

Diomande is an incredibly versatile midfield option who can play as a defensive, box-to-box, or attacking midfielder, due to the wide range of attributes he possesses.

The Ivorian talent won 55% of his duels and made 1.8 tackles and interceptions per game, to go along with his haul of four goals and seven assists for the Scottish giants in the Premiership. This shows that he can contribute to the team in and out of possession in the middle of the park.

Raskin is a similar player in the sense that the Belgium international is another central midfielder who can be used in a multitude of midfield roles due to his qualities on and off the ball, as the former Standard Liege man also caught the eye with his performances in the league.

As you can see in the table above, both Raskin and Diomande provided quality defensively and offensively in midfield for Rangers, making tackles and interceptions on a regular basis, whilst also providing a threat at the top end of the pitch.

This is why it would be such a blow for Martin to lose either or both of them before the end of the summer transfer window, because they are proven performers who contribute at both ends of the pitch.

Possibly with their futures in mind, Rangers are reportedly eyeing up a move for another midfielder to come in and bolster their options in that position.

Rangers lodge enquiry for teen talent

According to Cukaricki sporting director Vladimir Matijašević, Rangers are one of the clubs interested in a deal to sign teenage midfielder Andrej Bacanin this summer.

Speaking to the club’s official website, he said: “There’s significant interest in our young players, and right now the spotlight is on Andrej Bačanin’s transfer. His performances last season for both our team and the Serbian national side at youth level have drawn attention from numerous clubs.

“We’ve had enquiries from Scottish giants Celtic and Rangers, and clubs like Ajax and Udinese are also interested, among others. It’s possible more options will emerge, but I expect the transfer to be completed within the next ten days.”

This is as close as a confirmation of genuine interest as you can get in a transfer ‘rumour’, as the sporting director himself has confirmed that the Gers have enquired about a possible deal for the 18-year-old star.

With Rangers seemingly pursuing a move for the Serbian youngster, Martin could have his own version of Glen Kamara on his hands next season.

Why Bacanin could be the next Kamara for Rangers

Whilst the 18-year-old talent, due to his age and inexperience, may not be the ideal signing to come in and replace Raskin or Diomande in the short-term, he could be an excellent signing for the future.

The Cukaricki maestro is also a different type of central midfielder to both of those stars, as he is more of a tempo-setting player who likes to break up play and dictate matches with his passing ability. Whereas, as aforementioned, Diomande and Raskin thrive more as all-action box-to-box players who can make an impact defensively and offensively.

Serbian Football Scout, who is a professional scout for MLS side Colorado Rapids, described Bacanin as a “true midfield controller” and one of the “most intriguing young midfield talents” around, which speaks to both his style of play and his potential.

The Serbia U19 international made his first-team breakthrough in the 2024/25 campaign and caught the eye with his promising displays in the middle of the park.

As you can see in the table above, if you take Kamara’s title-winning form from the 2020/21 Premiership and compare it to Bacanin’s breakthrough season in Serbia, there are a lot of similarities.

At the age of 18, the Serbian youngster is far from the finished article, as shown by his pass accuracy, but he is similar to Kamara in the sense that the teenage talent likes to sit at the base of the midfield and break up attacks whilst also spraying long passes.

As the Colorado Rapids scout put it, Bacanin is a controller in the middle of the park and has the potential to develop into Martin’s own version of the former Rangers star, who now plays for Rennes in Ligue 1.

Whilst he would not be the perfect like-for-like replacement for Diomande or Raskin, the 18-year-old starlet appears to be a worthwhile signing as a young talent with the potential to be a Kamara-esque star in the future.

Related

As dispensable as Nsiala: Teams have major interest in Rangers flop

There are teams eyeing up moves for this flop and Clinton Nsiala from Rangers this summer.