Glasgow Rangers are still yet to appoint their permanent successor to Philippe Clement in the dugout at Ibrox, four months on from his exit from the club.
The Belgian manager was relieved of his duties in February and replaced in the short term by interim boss Barry Ferguson, who left his post at the end of the 2024/25 campaign.
Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano has claimed that former Scotland international Russell Martin is set to be named as the new head coach to finally replace Clement.
The reporter claims that the ex-Southampton manager has agreed to join the Ibrox giants to start a new chapter in his career, as the first manager of the new ownership era in Glasgow.
Martin did win promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs with Southampton in the 2023/24 season, which shows that he has some demonstrable skills.
If the Scottish head coach now lands the job, as reported, then he will have to deal with potential exits from Ibrox, including midfielder Nicolas Raskin.
Why losing Nicolas Raskin would be a blow
The Belgium international is reportedly valued at a fee of at least £20m by the Scottish giants, amid interest from Premier League sides Aston Villa and Leeds United.
At least two teams from the English top-flight being keen on a move for the former Standard Liege central midfielder suggests that there could be a fight on for the Gers to keep hold of him through to the end of the summer transfer window.
It would be a big blow for the Light Blues to lose the Belgian talent ahead of the 2025/26 campaign because of his impressive performances for the club this season.
Raskin caught the eye with his sublime showings in possession in the Scottish Premiership for Rangers, despite their failure to win the title, with his contributions at the top end of the pitch.
Appearances
33
Touches per game
68.4
Goals
4
Big chances created
9
Assists
10
Pass accuracy
87%
Dribbles completed per game
1.0
Dribble success rate
68%
As you can see in the table above, the Gers number 43 provided plenty of quality in the final third with 14 goals and assists combined from a midfield position.
Raskin, however, also showcased his quality out of possession for the Scottish giants by averaging 5.0 tackles and interceptions per match in the Europa League across 12 outings in the competition this term.
It would, therefore, be a big blow to lose Raskin from the squad this summer because he is an important player who can contribute at both ends of the pitch as a central midfielder, thanks to his attributes on and off the ball.
However, the Belgian star may not be the only talent that the next Rangers manager will have to be wary about losing, as teams are circling around another central midfielder.
Premier League teams eyeing Rangers midfielder
According to TEAMtalk, Light Blues central midfielder Mohamed Diomande is attracting interest from several clubs in the Premier League in the summer transfer window.
The report claims that there are six Premier League sides eyeing up a potential move to sign the Ivorian dynamo from the Scottish giants ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.
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It reveals that Everton are the frontrunners to land the Rangers star’s signature at this moment in time, as they have been keeping tabs on the former Danish league star’s progress at Ibrox.
David Moyes is looking to sign the left-footed star because of the versatility that he could provide the Toffees, due to his ability to play as a holding midfielder, as a box-to-box number eight, or as an attacking midfielder.
TEAMtalk adds that Rangers would want a significant profit on the £4.3m that they paid for him at the start of last year, although no exact figure is mentioned.
Irrespective of how much money the Gers could get back for the 23-year-old sensation, losing Diomande would be as big a blow as selling Raskin would be.
Why selling Mohamed Diomande would be a big blow for Rangers
As is also the case with the Belgian midfielder, the left-footed star has attracted interest from clubs down south because of his fantastic displays in the middle of the park for the Glasgow giants.
Just like Raskin, the Ivorian talent has proven that he has the quality to make a big impact in matches in the Premiership, including in matches against Celtic that could be pivotal in title races in the future.
Diomande has scored two goals and provided one assist in eight matches against the Hoops to date, including one goal and one assist in his last two clashes with the club’s Glasgow rivals – the strike shown in the clip above.
The Everton target’s general form in possession in the Premiership during the 2024/25 campaign also shows that he is as influential as Raskin, if not potentially more so, when it comes to making things happen at the top end of the pitch.
Appearances
36
33
Goals
4
4
Big chances created
11
9
Assists
7
10
Ground duel success rate
57%
57%
Aerial duel success rate
48%
56%
As you can see in the table above, Diomande produced 15 goals and ‘big chances’ created combined, compared to Raskin’s 13, but did not get as much luck when it came to assists as his teammates failed to make the most of the high-quality opportunities that he created.
The Belgian star may be better than him in the air, but the Ivorian ace is equally as efficient at winning duels on the ground, and showed promise defensively in the Europa League, making 3.0 tackles and interceptions per game.
Rangers eye manager who Arne Slot said creates top build-up and pressure
Is he the perfect man for the job?
ByHenry JacksonJun 2, 2025
These statistics show that selling Diomande to a Premier League side this summer would be just as bad as selling Raskin would be for Martin, because they are almost equally as influential in the middle of the park and both of them would leave a massive hole for Thelwell to fill.
