adminRangers star Olwethu Makhanya has already been tipped for a lucrative move away from Ibrox.
The South African defender has quickly attracted attention in Scotland with the speed of his adaptation.
He was outstanding in Derek McInnes’ side’s 1-0 victory over Celtic on Sunday, prompting speculation about a potentially big-money departure.
The Gers would surely expect a substantial profit on the £3million they paid Philadelphia Union if Makhanya were to leave in the near future.
It is an issue that could come onto the agenda in the Govan boardroom sooner rather than later if he continues performing at his current level in the weeks ahead.
However, Nicolas Raskin’s situation during the summer has highlighted a problem for the Bears that could make a potential exit more difficult.
What is Rangers transfer dilemma that could hurt Olwethu Makhanya exit?
Andy Newport believes the Gers cannot be certain of receiving the sort of offers they would ideally want at this stage.
He suggested that Rangers would be better served by keeping Makhanya and competing for trophies with him in the team before looking to cash in, with Raskin’s situation in the summer demonstrating a lack of interested bidders despite his World Cup performances.
In his latest column in the Daily Record, he said: “This summer has again shown that Rangers struggle to attract the kind of big money bids Celtic regularly deposit in the Parkhead coffers.
“Take Nico Raskin for example. Not even a run to the last eight of the World Cup could tempt serious, sizeable offers for the Belgian international.
“It was only when Rangers won their last league title and reached a Europa League final that following season that the big bucks came flooding in for the likes of Calvin Bassey, Nathan Patterson and Joe Aribo.
“And Makhanya’s value will soar higher and higher if he can embellish his current performances with a couple of winners’ medals.”
That big-money argument is difficult to dispute, and keeping Makhanya at the club would seemingly suit all parties.
Why Makhanya staying put makes sense for Rangers
Makhanya has already won over the Gers supporters with his displays since making the move from MLS.
Across six Scottish Premiership appearances, he has averaged seven defensive contributions, including 1.17 tackles, six recoveries and four clearances per game, according to FotMob data.
Retaining him for as long as possible should support McInnes’ team in their pursuit of silverware, much like Raskin’s return to the lineup has helped them rediscover their form.
Rangers need to hold onto their top performers and challenge for trophies before potentially moving them on, allowing them to identify talented replacements who can become part of a title-winning team and continue the cycle.
There is little value in selling players prematurely for less than they could eventually command. Rangers would be better served waiting until those players have medals to their names and their market value has risen.
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