Barry Ferguson has waded into the ongoing messy situation between Rangers and Nicolas Raskin.
After the Belgian international's dad publicly filleted head coach Russell Martin on Facebook, speculation has been rife that the midfielder could be set to leave Ibrox before Monday's transfer deadline.
It comes after the 24-year-old has struggled to nail down his regular starting spot in the team, with Martin again opting to name him among the substitutes bench in Brugge on Wednesday night.
Following the 6-0 drubbing, Martin admitted there was a chance one or two could leave the club before the window shuts when he was directly asked about the prospect of Raskin being sold.
Ferguson would hate to see his former player leave Ibrox, as he tried to make sense of what's gone wrong between him and Martin this summer.
"There's only a small band of people who really know the true story of what’s gone on with Nico Raskin this summer," Ferguson wrote in his Daily Record column. "And that select circle won’t extend much further beyond the player himself, his agents and the senior staff at Rangers.
"I’ve heard the same rumours of a fall out with Russell Martin and whispers of a potential move away from Ibrox.
"But I’ll be honest, I have no idea how much - if any - of it is true.
"What I do know for definite, however, is that Nico is a huge talent with the potential to by a top international midfielder.
"I felt we managed to get the very best out of him during my spell in charge last season and his reward was a place in the Belgium team.
"We’re talking about a young man who was able to line-up alongside Kevin De Bruyne and not look out of place.
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"That’s why I really hope that by the time the clock strikes 11pm on Monday evening and the transfer deadline has passed, the wee man is still a Rangers player.
"Clearly, though, something is up between him and the club right now.
"There’s no way any boss would leave a lad as tenacious and as determined as Nico out of a starting line-up if his mind was fully focused.
"Russell has admitted previously that he felt Raskin’s head had been turned over the summer by all the transfer talk swirling around and hinted again after Wednesday’s hugely disappointing Brugge defeat that there were no guarantees he’d still be here once the window slams shut.
"Maybe that was in his thinking when he opted to leave Raskin out of his starting line up in Brugge.
"Obviously the result proved to be a nightmare and people are already questioning that major selection call.
"What a manager of Rangers needs is people to be all in but if players are perhaps eyeing up moves elsewhere then of course that will affect their focus levels.
"Right now, it seems there are too many with one eye on the exit at Ibrox and that’s clearly not helping the cause.
"That’s why we need to see the window close. Hopefully then this squad can knuckle down and put full concentration into kick-starting the campaign.
"And hopefully Raskin can play a big part in that."
