Casper Widell has lifted the lid on what he says was a close call with Rangers this summer, revealing that a move to Ibrox collapsed after a player already at the club refused to leave. The 23-year-old Excelsior centre-back remains in the Netherlands as a result, with his hoped-for step up to Scottish Premiership football still on hold.

A Deal That Never Crossed the Line

Widell's account paints a picture familiar to anyone who has watched a transfer window unravel in real time. According to the defender, Rangers had the intention to bring him in, but the move was contingent on an outgoing that simply did not happen. An unnamed player dug his heels in and stayed put, meaning the door closed on Widell before he could get through it.

It is the kind of situation clubs find themselves in regularly — a chain transfer that depends on every link holding — and this time one link snapped. Widell, for his part, appears to have been a genuine target rather than a speculative name thrown into the mix, which makes the circumstances all the more frustrating for him.

Raskin Situation Adds Context

The Widell story sits alongside a busy set of noises out of Ibrox regarding midfielder Nicolas Raskin. The 25-year-old Belgian is reportedly the primary January target for Besiktas, having already resisted a move to Turkey this summer. However, multiple reports suggest Raskin himself is keen to stay at Rangers in order to push for the Scottish title this season, and the club are not believed to be looking to cash in until at least the end of the campaign.

If Raskin is staying, the squad picture becomes even more settled, which perhaps goes some way to explaining why Widell's path in was blocked. Rangers appear to have largely landed where they wanted with their summer business, their squad now valued at £132m according to Transfermarkt — overtaking Celtic by nearly £19m following a 4.6 per cent increase since last season.

Wider Scottish Gossip

Elsewhere in the Scottish game, Dundee head coach Steven Pressley is said to be moving quickly to open talks with six players whose contracts expire next summer. Getting that business tied up early would give Dundee clarity heading into the second half of the season.

Former Celtic youth winger Karamoko Dembele, now 23 and on the books at Queens Park Rangers, has revealed that a racist remark from a team-mate during a Scotland camp made it easier for him to switch his international allegiance to England. The comments, reported by The Athletic, shed an uncomfortable light on his exit from the Scottish set-up.

Celtic winger Yang Hyun-jun meanwhile faces a fitness test before the club will sanction his involvement in the Asian Games final, having sat out the semi-final win over China with a hamstring strain. His club will not risk him unless he can demonstrate he is fully recovered.

Finally, former Rangers owner Sir David Murray has revisited the club's 2012 tax controversy, claiming Rangers were unfairly targeted by HMRC and defending the use of Employee Benefit Trust contracts — remarks made on the Graeme Souness Tackles podcast and sure to spark fresh debate among supporters on both sides of the Old Firm divide.

Frequently asked

Why did Casper Widell's move to Rangers fall through?
Widell says his summer transfer to Rangers collapsed because an unnamed player at the club refused to leave, breaking the chain that would have made room for the Excelsior centre-back.
Is Nicolas Raskin leaving Rangers in January?
Besiktas are reportedly keen on Raskin as their main January target, but the Belgian midfielder is said to want to stay at Ibrox to challenge for the Scottish title, and Rangers are not believed to want to sell before the end of the season.
Why did Karamoko Dembele choose to represent England instead of Scotland?
Dembele has said that a racist remark made by a team-mate during a Scotland camp made the decision to switch allegiance to England easier for him, according to a report by The Athletic.