Rangers stars see Nico Raskin exit clue after being dropped for Jablonec clash

Nico Raskin was dropped to the bench for Rangers' Conference League playoff against Jablonec, sparking exit speculation from Ibrox VIPs amid interest from Atalanta, Bologna, Villarreal, Real Betis and Fenerbahce.

Brit Brief 20/08/2026 17:32

Rangers stars see Nico Raskin exit clue after being dropped for Jablonec clash — Rangers stars see Nico Raskin exit clue after being dropped

Two Rangers heroes reckon Nico Raskin is inching towards the Ibrox exit door after being dropped for the Conference League clash with Jablonec.

The midfielder put in a string of impressive performances for Belgium in their run to the World Cup quarter-finals, and has been attracting interest from across Europe.

Sources in Italy state Atalanta and Bologna are keen on signing Raskin this summer. Villarreal and Real Betis have also been touted - but a bid has failed to land for the 25-year-old.

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Dropped for crucial playoff

But amid reported interest from Fenerbahce, Derek McInnes drafted in Dan Neil to start the crucial Conference League playoff showdown first leg instead of Raskin.

Andy Halliday was convinced a deal is in the works, stating on BBC Sportsound: "That tells me something (dropping Raskin) - I don't think he is out due to form, because of his performance at the weekend."

"You just wonder if interest in Nico Raskin has started to ramp up. We all seen what happened to Youssef Chermiti - is it now a case of Nico Raskin sitting on the bench with interest coming from elsewhere? It's an opportunity for Dan Neil."

Former Rangers striker weighs in

Former Rangers' striker Steven Thompson said: "I do believe if Dan Neil is coming in for Raskin, after Derek bigged him up massively (after St Mirren), there has maybe been some initial discussions. The money you are talking about, it's not worth risking."

McInnes explains decision

But speaking to Rangers TV before the game, boss McInnes attempted to cool rising speculation. He said: "It's just really managing Nico, Nico's got a wee issue with his ankle at the minute and we're just trying to manage that situation and his minutes to be honest."

"Ordinarily we'd have liked to have kept the same team, but Nico got an injection on Sunday after the game and we're just trying to manage that."

"So, Dan (Neil) comes in, it's an opportunity for Dan, an opportunity for everybody else to go and try and follow up what was a positive performance. We've got a decent bench as well, good options there."