GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - NOVEMBER 27: Nico Raskin of Rangers is seen at full time during the UEFA Europa League 2025/26 League Phase MD5 match between Rangers FC and SC Braga at Ibrox Stadium on November 27, 2025 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
Nico Raskin has been giving an insight into the phantom transfer offer from Besiktas.
Despite three and half years without winning a trophy many messengers are convinced that the Belgian midfielder is one of the hottest properties in Europe.
A couple of World Cup appearances for a team that made the last eight of the competition sent delusions sky high among loyal bears.
Topping that all up Celtic sold Arne Engels to West Ham for £22m.
According to the Ibrox moon-howlers wee Nicky is worth at least twice that.
Completely ignoring that in two seasons at Celtic Engels won four domestic honours and made 10 appearances in the Champions League.
THE RACE TO SIGN NICO RASKIN!
All years long we were told about interest from teams in Italy, Spain, Germany and England.
They were keeping tabs, monitoring events and asking to be kept informed.
Of course there was no real interest. Not even at £8m, the £30m price tag was greeted with laughter across football.
The Sun reports Raskin saying:
On the morning of September 2nd, they called me to say that there was an offer and even almost an agreement but I had a match that evening.
My phone kept ringing at the hotel, even while we were eating together. On the bus to the stadium, I still didn’t know if I would stay at Rangers.
An hour later, I was on the pitch. There wasn’t much time to think.
Raskin added:
It was beyond my control and that of the club. In the end, it had to do with everything that isn’t beautiful about football. The timing wasn’t right either.
With the transfer window closing the Besiktas card was played.
It is almost always Turkey in times of desperation, and usually Beskitas to spin a transfer tale.
As transfer spin goes the Beskitas September 2026 was a classic.
Raskin was left out of four matches under the pretense that transfer talks were at an advanced stage.
Next up was news that an agreement had been reached between the two clubs.
Just as the bears were speculating over what do with their £30m transfer windfall plus add ons fresh news emerged.
The deal was only a loan and had been initiated from Ibrox. Beskitas weren’t that bothered about the 25-year-old.
The online backlash from bears was incredible. Instantly their club pulled out, naturally Beskitas were blamed for shifting the goalposts.
A similar pantomime is expected in January with Raskin’s contract ending in June 2028.
The SMSM and the daily Record in particular must be fed up with Chinese clubs taking forever to make a valid offer for any of theRangers players so have moved onto Turkish clubs for their headlines ? By the way I have a new nickname for Inaction Jackson of the Record . It’s ‘pretzel’ -pretzel Jackson – cos ‘ he keeps twisting words and stories of a Celtic persuasion to suit his embarrassing agendas ! As in belittle and denounce the club as his preferred style .
It was all a bit of a misunderstanding – Besiktas DID offer 30 million, it’s just it was 30 million Turkish lira, which is approximately his value on the open market.
It shows how pitiful and pathetic we are that this pint sized neddy thug bossed the midfield against us not once but fu**in well twice…
He will start his medal collection this season for sure !