A 2-1 friendly victory over AS Saint-Etienne gave Rangers supporters their first real glimpse of Derek McInnes’ summer blueprint at Ibrox. But while penalties from Lawrence Shankland and Thelo Aasgaard secured the pre-season win, the 90 minutes laid bare several glaring squad weaknesses that must be addressed immediately.
With the Premiership opener against Dundee United at Tannadice on 31 July fast approaching, Rangers are running out of time to assemble a balanced starting line-up.
To solve the issues on display, the Ibrox hierarchy must make a pragmatic trade-off involving Nicolas Raskin.
Nicolas Raskin has been linked with a Rangers exit…
St Etienne win exposes flanks and defensive pace
Despite the positive result on paper, the Saint-Etienne fixture highlighted a concerning lack of natural width, speed, and defensive authority.
Youngster Findlay Curtis struggled with the physical demands on the wing, while Mohamed Diomande looked constrained playing out of position on the opposite flank, emphasising the complete absence of reliable wide options.
Ben Godfrey’s bouts with injuries in recent years appear to have sapped some of his recovery speed, creating visible vulnerabilities when Saint-Etienne attacked with pace.
Rangers are also still without a left-sided centre-back, a priority role that remains unfilled with the league kick-off just eight days away.
Rangers are stepping up their chase for Brighton’s Amario Cozier-Duberry to fix their wide issues, but with Anderlecht already seeing a £5million offer knocked back, he will command a substantial fee.
Meanwhile, Philadelphia Union rejected a £3.4m bid from Belgium for Olwethu Makhanya, meaning he or alternative target Sankhoun Diawara will carry a similar price tag.
Combined with the imminent £4.7m deal for Vanja Dragojevic, the Light Blues require a roughly £15m war chest to complete all three moves before the trip to Dundee United.
The Raskin dilemma: Should Rangers hold out for top dollar or act fast?
To generate that level of immediate capital, eyes naturally turn to Raskin.
The Belgian midfielder is comfortably Rangers’ most sellable asset this summer, and an exit appears inevitable.
Following a standout World Cup campaign with Belgium, fans understandably want the board to hold out for maximum market value, demanding £25m-plus in line with how elite European clubs sell top assets.
Reports indicate Ibrox chiefs are holding firm for £20m or more.
Playing the waiting game to squeeze out a few millions is sound business in theory. However, delaying a sale until August leaves McInnes severely under-resourced during the crucial opening weeks of the season.
Take the £15m and fund the rebuild
The Saint-Etienne match proved that this Rangers side cannot navigate the opening weeks of the Premiership campaign with makeshift wingers and a thin central defence.
If a concrete offer around £15-17m lands for Raskin as reported, Rangers should accept it.
Squeezing out extra millions late in the transfer window is not worth the cost of missing out on Cozier-Duberry, Diawara or Makhanya.
Securing the £15m needed to finish McInnes’ squad must take precedence over transfer market brinkmanship.
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