Rangers have found gold in an Ibrox star who is more important than Lewis Ferguson

Lewis Ferguson's return to Glasgow Rangers has been a dream come true for years as he made his name at Aberdeen.

Being the son of Derek Ferguson and the nephew of Barry Ferguson means he has connections with very few Gers professional footballers, which is why fans would love to see him return to Ibrox.

The central midfielder, who currently plays for Bologna in Serie A, went through an academy program with Rangers before they released him in the summer of 2013, aged 14.

Now, the Scottish Premiership giants are hoping to bring him back to Glasgow to play in the first team. They have already held talks with Bologna to discuss the Scottish player's contract.

The Italian club have informed the Gers how much it will take to sign the talented midfielder, and it is now up to the club to decide if they want to go ahead with the deal.

The lowdown on why Rangers should re-sign Lewis Ferguson

Ferguson is a Scotland international who has made over 100 appearances in Serie A for Bologna and recently played for his country at the World Cup, so it's clear why he would be the club's best signing from a footballing perspective.

However, the bottom line of why he would be such a good player for Derek McInnes' side is the leadership he will bring to the team in the middle of the park.

The 26-year-old star, currently valued at £12m by Transfermarkt, is the captain of current club Bologna and has been wearing the armband of the Italian club since the 2024/25 campaign.

Rangers released club captain James Tavernier on a free transfer at the end of last month, meaning McInnes and his staff must decide on a new captain going forward.

Ferguson's natural support for the club and his family connections, coupled with the fact that he has emerged as a club leader in one of Europe's biggest leagues, suggests he could be the right man to take over from Tavernier.

However, it has started down the board to ensure they can reach an agreement with Bologna to bring the midfielder back to Ibrox, before McInnes begins to consider the possibility of captaining the club.

Rangers have struck gold in a more important star than Lewis Ferguson

While the Gers sought to right their wrongs by offloading Ferguson when he was just 14 for at least £12m, the club hit the jackpot in a different midfielder.

In January 2023, Rangers were quick to sign Belgian midfielder Nicolas Raskin from Standard Liege for a measly £1.5m to strengthen Michael Beale's side, with Todd Cantwell arriving from Norwich City in the same window.

In subsequent years, the 25-year-old went on to amass 13 goals and 23 assists in 145 appearances in all competitions for the Gers, playing for the likes of Beale, Philippe Clement, Barry Ferguson, Russell Martin and Danny Rohl.

At the time of writing, he is currently playing in the World Cup with Belgium, who have reached the last 16 of this tournament, and he was playing for Rudi Garcia's team.

Despite being a substitute at international level, Raskin has established himself as a key star for Rangers in recent seasons, even winning the club's player of the year award for the 2024/25 campaign.

Thanks to his strong form at Ibrox, the Belgian star is attracting interest from elsewhere in the summer transfer window, with Spanish club Real Betis said to be among his suitors.

The Light Blues are demanding a fee of £20m to allow the midfielder to move to Ibrox, proving they have truly hit the jackpot, as his value has increased by £18.5m in less than four years.

That valuation also means he costs £8m more than Ferguson and could be considered an even bigger talent, given their ratings, which is why it would be a huge risk to lose the Belgian star.

However, the Scot brings great value on the pitch with his aforementioned leadership skills at Ibrox, which is why the Gers selling Raskin and replacing him with Ferguson could still be good business in the long run.