Turkish giants Besiktas are closing in on a €17million (£14.25million) package to sign Rangers midfielder Nicolas Raskin in the January transfer window.

According to reports from Turkish outlet Fanatik, the Black Eagles have accelerated talks with the Light Blues behind the scenes to finalise an agreement ahead of the winter period. The proposed deal includes performance-related bonuses, alongside an agreed annual salary of €5m (£4.2m) for the 25-year-old Belgian international.

Nicolas Raskin to Besiktas transfer talk intensifies after he said he ‘doesn’t know’ what January holds

The development comes immediately after Raskin addressed ongoing transfer speculation prior to Rangers’ 4-0 victory over St Johnstone. Having seen a deadline-day move to Besiktas fall through in September, the playmaker admitted that while he remains settled in Glasgow, his future past January stays uncertain.

Raskin said, via BBC: “When you’re an ambitious player, you want to keep going higher and higher and higher. I thought there was a point where maybe I could try and go and get a new challenge after the World Cup. I’ve never been pushing for something because I’m really happy here.

“I’m really calm with that. I don’t need to push anything. The manager’s been amazing with me since he arrived. We’ve got loads of time before January. We try to make the best of it, try to win as many games as we can, and I don’t know what’s going to happen.”

Raskin’s form has been crucial during Derek McInnes‘ ongoing nine-game unbeaten run, as he seamlessly anchors the engine room alongside summer signing Dan Neil. However, with Italiano demanding a box-to-box presence to enhance squad competition, the Turkish side look set to test Rangers’ resolve with their £14m-plus offer.

When pressed on whether a contract extension at Ibrox could be sorted before his current deal enters its final stages, Raskin kept his options open. His latest comments suggest that he is not entirely against the idea of pursuing a transfer exit in the January transfer window, which is not good news for McInnes.

With Besiktas expected to finalise the paperwork when the window opens, McInnes and the Rangers board face a massive decision over whether to cash in on their prized Belgian asset or retain him for the remainder of the campaign.

Raskin has started every game for Rangers in their ongoing nine-game unbeaten streak, and finished eight of those matches on the pitch too. This means the Belgian has established himself as a vital cog in McInnes’ team ever since returning to the fray following his Besiktas transfer fiasco towards the end of the transfer window.

Rangers are stacked in midfield, with Vanja Dragojevic and Tochi Chukwuani already struggling for minutes, and Cammy Devlin and Ross McCrorie on the sidelines. However, losing Raskin midway through the season would be a severe blow to the Gers’ title hopes.

On the flip side, waiting until next summer to sell Raskin would see his value deteriorate significantly, as he would be in the final year of his contract by then.