Aston Villa’s interest in Nicolas Raskin dates back more than a year, and the Premier League club now appears ready to turn that long-standing admiration into concrete transfer business.
The Rangers midfielder was already being discussed as a potential target for Villa during the summer of 2025, as reported by Inside Ibrox, when his performances at Ibrox had begun to attract serious attention from south of the border.
Our coverage at the time highlighted the growing reputation of the Belgian, with Raskin having established himself as one of the most important players in the Rangers midfield.
That interest has never entirely gone away. Instead, it has developed alongside Raskin's continued progression at Ibrox, with the 25-year-old now a Belgian international and an established performer at both domestic and European level.
Villa have remained among the clubs monitoring his situation, with reports from the Daily Record in July again naming Unai Emery's side as an interested party as Rangers faced increasing attention surrounding their midfield star.
And this is where the latest developments are significant. For more than 12 months, Villa have had Raskin on their radar. And now, there is a growing sense that their interest could finally move beyond monitoring.
Raskin has been on Villa's radar for a year
The Aston Villa link is therefore not a sudden development created by the latest transfer speculation. It was already a talking point in the summer of 2025.
At that stage, Raskin was coming off another strong personal campaign for Rangers and had continued to demonstrate the qualities which had made him attractive to clubs in England.
Our assessment last summer was that his ability to dictate the tempo, recover possession and provide intensity in midfield had transformed him from a promising signing into a key Rangers player.
Twelve months on, that assessment has only been strengthened.
Raskin has gone on to establish himself at international level, starring for Belgium at the World Cup in North America, while his performances have continued to attract attention from clubs across Europe.
Villa's continued presence in the conversation suggests their initial interest was genuine rather than simply a name being added to a scouting list.
The latest reports have again identified Aston Villa as monitoring the situation, alongside interest from elsewhere in England and Spain.
Emery's midfield rebuild could open the door
There is a clear footballing reason for the renewed interest. Villa have been reshaping their midfield, with Youri Tielemans leaving for Manchester United, Morgan Rogers heading to Chelsea and Amadou Onana facing a significant injury setback.
Raskin's profile would offer Emery another energetic and technically capable midfielder who is already accustomed to playing at the top level in Europe and internationally.
His ability to cover ground, press aggressively and contribute to the build-up makes him a natural fit for a side competing across the Premier League and Champions League.
However, Villa have already signed experienced German international Leon Goretzka this summer, meaning Raskin will arrive already down the pecking order at Villa Park.
McInnes has already addressed Raskin's future
Rangers, have been preparing for the possibility that one of their most valuable midfielders could eventually depart.
Derek McInnes has strengthened his options in the position with the additions of Dan Neil, Cammy Devlin and Vanja Dragojevic.
That does not necessarily mean Raskin is being pushed towards the exit, but it does give Rangers greater protection should a major offer arrive.
And McInnes' comments have underlined the importance of getting the right balance between retaining quality and allowing players to move on when the circumstances are right.
“Nico hasn't travelled, nothing to do with injury or anything like that, just the potential of a transfer,” McInnes said.
“I just think we're so late in the window, maybe it's something the club's looking at.
“So, he's trained this morning, but he's been left back in Glasgow.
“When I came into the job, it was quite clear that there was maybe going to be an opportunity for Nico elsewhere.
“There's been plenty of interest in him. We believe that interest has stepped up over the last couple of days.
“So, something may or may not happen. If Nico stays beyond the window, then it would be great to work with him, but if he doesn't, we wish him well.”
Raskin remains under contract at Ibrox for another two years, meaning Rangers are not dealing from a position of weakness, but are in a position where holding onto the midfielder any longer will see his value decrease.
The Belgian's situation is therefore one worth watching closely rather than assuming an exit is inevitable.
Villa have been admirers for over a year
They now appear to be getting closer to the point where admiration needs to become action.
And if Emery's recruitment team decide Raskin is the midfielder they want, Rangers may soon find themselves dealing directly with a club that has been watching their star man for considerably longer than the latest headlines suggest.
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