Rangers offered mutually beneficial swap deal to sign Scotland star Derek McInnes loves

Updated: 24 Jun 2026 14:45 BST | 5 min read

Tom Weber | Writer

Multilingual sports writer who specialises in European football and American soccer.

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Rangers could be presented with an opportunity to get their hands on Lewis Ferguson following the news that Bologna are interested in Nicolas Raskin.

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The Belgium international is expected to leave the Ibrox club this summer, having already had his head turned by high-profile interest last year. Raskin was initially axed by then-manager Russell Martin, but he was ultimately pardoned when no move materialised.

With Raskin currently at the World Cup - he has played in both of Belgium's games - the chances of a transfer are steadily increasing, and Rangers will surely not be able to keep hold of him for another year.

Current ETV

Nicolas Raskin

DM, M (C)

Rangers

Nicolas Raskin

DM, M (C)

Rangers

ETV Range

€11M - €13.4M

The 25-year-old only has two years remaining on his deal, so now is the ideal time to cash in on him. Raskin is expected to once again field interest from the Premier League, but perhaps his destination may actually be Italy.

According to reports in Belgium and Italy, new Bologna coach Domenico Tedesco wants to sign Raskin, with discussions over a potential deal having already started.

Raskin to Bologna, Ferguson to Rangers?

Tuttomercatoweb confirms that, in addition to Atalanta, Bologna are now also chasing a deal for Raskin, who will be familiar to Tedesco from his time in charge of the Belgian national team.

While the 25-year-old only made his debut for the Red Devils under Tedesco's successor Rudi Garcia last year, the Italian-German coach almost certainly had Raskin on his radar prior to his sacking in January.

He now wants to bring him to Bologna, where he has, ironically, replaced Vincenzo Italiano, who was born in Germany and whose last name means "Italian," while Tedesco was born in Italy and his name translates to "German."

Interestingly, Bologna's interest in Raskin could open the door for Rangers to potentially get Lewis Ferguson in return. The Scotland international, hailing from a family of former Gers players, has long been a dream target for the club.

It is believed that Ferguson could leave Bologna this summer after struggling for minutes since his return from an ACL injury, despite being the club captain. He has been tentatively linked with a move to Ibrox in recent weeks.

Rangers would likely not be able to sign him in a straight transfer deal, but they could potentially afford him as part of an informal swap deal with Raskin. However, this is just a hypothetical scenario right now.

Ferguson's agent Bill McMurdo recently insisted that his client was looking for a more elite challenge with his next move. "Lewis has two years left on his contract," he said. explained. "We’ll meet with the club soon to assess whether they’d like to offer him a contract extension or let it expire.”

"Lewis is more than ready to play for one of the so-called big Italian clubs if they show interest in him and Bologna is willing to let him leave. He wants to play at the highest level possible and continue to develop his career.

"He would consider offers from any of the top five footballing countries, with Italy and England being his first choices. Lewis is more than happy to stay at Bologna, but he’s equally ready to take on any new challenge to advance his career. Any move, however, should be beneficial for all parties."

A transfer to Rangers looks fanciful right now, but there is a strong connection with new manager Derek McInnes. He signed Ferguson for Aberdeen in 2018 and provided the 26-year-old with the platform to become the star he is today.

Ferguson made more than 100 competitive appearances for the Dons under McInnes, earning his €2 million move to Bologna off the back of his impressive form.

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