Rangers midfielder Nicolas Raskin has seen his profile skyrocket on the global stage following an incredibly impactful cameo at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The 25-year-old came off the bench during Belgium’s final group stage match against New Zealand on Saturday to anchor the midfield under Rudi Garcia.
Raskin seized his moment in the spotlight, engineering a beautiful phase of play to serve up a pinpoint assist for Romelu Lukaku as the Red Devils cruised to an emphatic 5-1 victory to seal their knockout place.
Following the triumph, the Ibrox ace took to Instagram to share a gallery of images expressing his immense pride at steering his nation into the World Cup round of 32.
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Atalanta star Charles De Ketelaere sends Raskin message
The celebratory post instantly caught the eye of his high-profile international teammate and Atalanta forward Charles De Ketelaere.
De Ketelaere made his feelings perfectly clear, dropping two enthusiastic heart-eye emojis directly into Raskin’s comment section to applaud the performance.
The social media interaction arrives at a fascinating time, coming just a fortnight after it emerged that Atalanta have a concrete interest in signing Raskin this summer.
The Bergamo-based Serie A outfit have earmarked the technical Belgian midfielder as a target to upgrade their engine room ahead of the new campaign.
De Ketelaere’s public endorsement of Raskin will only accelerate those transfer flames as the Italian side formalise a formal package to test the resolve of the Rangers board.
If the recruitment chiefs at Atalanta can finalise an agreement with the Light Blues, it would set up an incredibly exciting reunion for the two Belgium internationals in Italy.
Nicolas Raskin has been linked with a Rangers exit…
What this means for Rangers
While Ibrox manager Derek McInnes will be thrilled to see Raskin excelling under the maximum pressure of a World Cup, his tournament exploits inevitably make keeping him more difficult.
The former Standard Liege man is already on the wishlist of several clubs already, with Real Betis the latest side to join the race.
Raskin’s drive, spatial awareness, and final-third composure against New Zealand have effectively proved he is entirely comfortable competing at the absolute pinnacle of the sport.
With Atalanta lurking and teammates dropping hints on social media, the Rangers hierarchy face a massive decision regarding his valuation this summer.
Hull City offered up to £14million last week, but that fell significantly short of Rangers’ expectations.
Should a lucrative Serie A bid materialise over the coming weeks, Andrew Cavenagh and Co. may find it incredibly tough to deny Raskin the opportunity to link up with De Ketelaere on a permanent basis.
