Bologna have registered a ‘concrete’ interest in signing Rangers midfielder Nicolas Raskin as they look to reshape their engine room.
The Serie A club have placed the 25-year-old high on their wishlist to spearhead a new tactical system under recently appointed head coach Domenico Tedesco.
While a move to a top-tier European league like Serie A would normally represent a dream step for the Ibrox star, the specific manager waiting for him in Italy makes the potential transfer incredibly complicated.
It is frankly hard to see Raskin actively choosing to work under Tedesco, given the complex history the pair shared on the international stage.
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The 150-player snub Raskin faced from Tedesco
Before Rudi Garcia took the reins of the Belgium national team, Tedesco was the man calling the shots for the Red Devils and completely left Raskin out of the international picture.
The midfielder was entirely ignored by the current Bologna boss during his tenure, a managerial omission that Raskin has openly addressed in front of the European media.
During a national team training camp in March, the Rangers star pointedly recalled his long journey to earning a place in the squad by looking back at his time under the previous regime.
“Domenico Tedesco had a list of 150 players, and I wasn’t even on it”, Raskin was quoted as saying by Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws.
The institutional disconnect between Raskin and Tedesco stands in absolute opposition to the glowing relationship the player now enjoys with Garcia, who has taken him to the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America.
While Raskin had not played a single senior minute for his country under the current Bologna head coach, Garcia held the Rangers ace in high regard and immediately selected him for his debut squad.
Since that tactical pivot, the defensive midfielder has become an integral part of the Red Devils squad, thanks to the immense drive, energy, and physical intensity he brings to the pitch.
Raskin has successfully established himself as a trusted lieutenant for Garcia, starting in Belgium’s second World Cup game against Iran last Sunday.
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Tedesco to repair relationship to complete Rangers transfer?
With Bologna potentially pushing to understand the parameters of a deal with Rangers, the hierarchy at the Italian club face a unique internal roadblock in convincing the player to sign.
Tedesco clearly rates the player’s current development in Scotland and views him as the perfect stylistic fit to dictate play in Serie A.
However, elite football is built on mutual trust, and Raskin’s own public statements prove there was a severe lack of communication between him and the tactician.
Unless the Italian club can successfully mend a relationship previously defined by a 150-man omission, Raskin may look favourably on competing Serie A interest from the likes of Atalanta.
