Will West Ham United's midfield rebuild right at the end of this transfer window continue?
So far in the Premier League, the Hammers have been smashed 3-0 by Sunderland at the Stadium of Light and then 5-1 when Chelsea visited the London Stadium.
West Ham United manager Graham Potter and assistant manager Bruno Saltor
West Ham United manager Graham Potter and assistant manager Bruno Saltor
In the latter, the Irons midfield pairing of Tomáš Souček and James Ward-Prowse was completely overrun by Chelsea's duo of Enzo Fernández and Moisés Caicedo, both of whom scored, barely getting near them all night.
Thus, it is no surprise that Graham Potter has prioritised midfield reinforcements since that ill-fated defeat, so could another be on his way to East London?
West Ham's midfield rebuild
On Friday, West Ham signed not one but two new midfielders.
First, Mateus Fernandes arrived from Southampton for £38m before, a mere few hours later, Soungoutou Magassa joined from Monaco for a reported fee of £17m.
The latter, who won Olympic silver with France in the summer of 2024, is very highly rated, so West Ham fans should be excited about his arrival, but could his dream midfield partner soon be on his way to Stratford?
mateus-fernandes-southampton-premier-league
Well, according to a report by TEAMTalk, West Ham are ready to raid Rangers for Nicolas Raskin, adding that the Glasgow-based giants value their Belgian international at around £15m.
This transfer speculation has been fuelled by the news that Raskin will not be involved in Sunday's Glasgow derby, training away from the rest of the first team, following an alleged falling out with manager Russell Martin.
Wolves, Burnley, Aston Villa, Brighton, Fiorentina and others are also purportedly interested in signing the Belgian, but could he soon swap Glasgow's south side for East London?
What Nicolas Raskin would bring to West Ham
Raskin was Rangers' Players' Player of the Year and Fans' Player of the Year last season, very much their standout player during an otherwise underwhelming campaign.
In total, the 24-year-old has made 104 appearances for the Glasgow giants, scoring six goals and registering 16 assists.
Thus, before a ball was kicked this season, it would've been unthinkable for Rangers supporters that he would not be in their lineup for key fixtures.
raskin-rangers-celtic
Well, that has been the case under Martin, with Raskin left on the bench for Champions League qualifiers against Viktoria Plzeň and Club Brugge, introduced at half time at Jan Breydelstadion on Wednesday with the team 5-0 down.
The table below documents Raskin's importance to Rangers last season.
Raskin - 2024/25
Stat
Minutes
Goals
Assists
Shots
Shots on target
Passes completed
Passes into final 3rd
Shot-creating actions
Tackles
Interceptions
Ball recoveries
Touches
via FBref.com
As the table outlines, Raskin was a key contributor for Rangers last season in every aspect, ranked first for assists, passes, tackles, ball recoveries and touches, emphasising his importance both in and out of possession.
He was even labelled a "pitbull" by journalist Bob Faesan - who noted that he is a "a box-to-box midfielder" - while John Walker has also described his performances as "utterly sensational".
Nico-Raskin
Nico Raskin
Thus, alongside Magassa, who likes to sit in front of a defence, they could form an excellent partnership. Indeed, the Frenchman is a real monster out of possession in his own right, having ranked in the 3% of European midfielders for interceptions per 90, as well as in the top 4% for tackles made, as per FBref.
Statistically similar to the aforementioned Caicedo, among his European peers, Magassa also has the benefit of being able to drag his side up the pitch, having also ranked in the top 12% for successful take-ons per 90.
magassa
Raskin has been at his best in a Rangers jersey when given the freedom to get forward and contribute in attacking areas, while also getting back and offering defensive solidity, ensuring both he and Magassa could strike a perfect balance in the centre of the park.
So, if the Belgian is on the way out at Rangers, West Ham could snap him up for a bargain fee and potentially form an exciting, new-look midfield duo.