He earns as much as Raskin: Thelwell must sell "blistering" Rangers flop
Glasgow Rangers will be going in search of their first win of the 2025/26 Scottish Premiership season when they welcome Hearts to Ibrox on Saturday.
The Light Blues have drawn all four of their games in the division so far, the latest being the 0-0 draw with Celtic last time out, and need to get three points on the board this weekend.
Russell Martin has confirmed, though, that Nicolas Raskin will not play any part of the clash with the Jam Tarts, after he was also left out of the squad to face Celtic before the international break.
The manager explained: “Every player has a duty to earn the trust of his team-mates and coaching staff to help us win football matches. We have to be on the pitch with trust and feeling and clarity and that’s it. I think the most important thing is Nico knows why, the players know why and we all move forward.
“He’s part of the squad in training and he needs to help that and put himself back in the squad to help us win matches. It is resolved he is still here, he is training with the group now, so it’s fine.”
Supporters will surely be hoping that the Belgian talent is back on the pitch for Rangers sooner rather than later, because he has the quality to be an influential figure for the team.
Why Rangers need Nicolas Raskin back on the pitch
The Light Blues need Raskin on the pitch because he is a central midfielder who provides qualities in and out of possession as a box-to-box star.
His attributes on and off the ball mean that he can influence games at both ends of the pitch, by breaking up opposition attacks and by making an impact in the final third.
Defensively, Raskin has shown that he can provide a combative presence in the middle of the park by making tackles, interceptions, and ball recoveries on a regular basis, domestically and in Europe.
Appearances
33
12
Tackles per game
2.8
3.7
Interceptions per game
0.6
1.3
Ball recoveries per game
5.6
7.4
Ground duel success rate
57%
50%
Aerial duel success rate
56%
55%
As you can see in the table above, the Belgium international won the majority of his duels on the ground and in the air in the 2024/25 campaign, whilst making plenty of defensive interventions each game.
These statistics show that he can break up play ahead of the back four to protect the defence and Jack Butland, which is something that is needed right now after 17 goals conceded so far this season.
Raskin’s form in the 2024/25 campaign also shows that he has the quality to provide a big threat in possession as both a scorer and a creator of goals, to go along with his defensive efforts.
The Belgian star delivered five goals and 11 assists in all competitions, per Transfermarkt, and could provide the creativity that Rangers lacked against Celtic, as they failed to create any ‘big chances’.
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Whilst these statistics explain why Rangers need Raskin back in the first-team squad for matches, there is another Light Blues outcast who should be moved on by sporting director Kevin Thelwell.
Rabbi Matondo did not complete a move away from Ibrox before the end of the Scottish summer transfer window, but Thelwell must find a way to finally move on from the winger, whether that is now or in the January transfer window at the start of next year.
Why Rangers need to move on from Rabbi Matondo
Raskin and Matondo both reportedly earn £15k-per-week at Rangers, but the club have not been getting equal value out of them on the pitch in recent seasons.
In fact, the Wales international spent the 2024/25 campaign out on loan at Hannover in the 2. Bundesliga because Philippe Clement decided that he was not going to make his first-team squad.
Rangers, who signed the forward from Schalke for a fee of £2.5m in the summer of the 2022, need to finally part ways with the attacker because he has not done enough on the pitch since his move to Ibrox.
Matondo has had his moments for the Gers, including the goal against Celtic in the clip above, but he has only scored eight goals in all competitions for the first-team in the last three years.
As well as struggling for consistency on the pitch, the former Manchester City youngster has also struggled to stay fit throughout his time at Ibrox, and on loan in Germany last term.
25/26
1
3
24/25
1
23
23/24
2
19
22/23
1
20
As you can see in the table above, the 25-year-old winger has not been reliable enough with his availability in recent seasons, already missing three games at the start of the current campaign.
Matondo, who Kris Boyd claimed has “blistering pace”, cannot be relied upon by Martin because of these consistent injury issues, which is why the manager should not look to reintegrate him into the team.
The Welsh international should, instead, be moved on by Thelwell, whether that is to a club whose window remains open now or to a team in January, because of his performance and injury issues.
Matondo has only scored seven goals in 44 matches in the Scottish Premiership for Rangers in his career, per Transfermarkt, and this shows that he has not been an elite talent for the team even when he has been fit.
The wide player’s underwhelming contributions in the final third and his injury problems suggest that the Gers have not got as much out of their £15k-per-week than they have for Raskin, who won the club’s Player of the Season and Players’ Player of the Season awards for the 2024/25 campaign.
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It is now down to the club, Martin, and Thelwell to find a solution for Matondo in the coming weeks or months, because, to this point, he has been a flop at Ibrox.