Aston Villa and Rangers are both expected to be active in the summer transfer window.

They may be in different countries and divisions, but Aston Villa and Rangers have something in common ahead of the summer transfer window: the upcoming business is absolutely pivotal.

Villa, firmly in the fight for a place in next season’s Champions League, will be looking to push their squad to the next level after reaching new heights under Unai Emery. The Villans exceeded all expectations this term by reaching the last eight of the Champions League and were one step away from an FA Cup final when beaten by Crystal Palace at Wembley. A top-five Premier League finish is still possible, too.

The winter transfer window acted as a real statement of intent from Villa as they signed superstar attackers Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio, both on deadline day. Although the deals were only loans, Villa sent shockwaves by bringing in the reputable pair – and the club will be eager to make their mark with further impressive business this summer.

Rangers, meanwhile, have been hugely disappointed by this season as bitter rivals Celtic have run away with the Scottish Premiership title. With two games to go, the gap between the two teams is a whopping 17 points. To make matters worse, this crown for Celtic levels up the historic scoring, with both teams now at 55 Scottish Premiership titles.

It will be a big summer regardless for Rangers as they are still searching for a new permanent head coach to replace Philippe Clement, but it’s set to be even more significant as the Ibrox club seek to close the gap to Celtic. An overhaul of the squad could take place under the new manager, whoever that may be, with significant incomings and outgoings possible.

Aston Villa and Rangers could complete bold £20m swap deal

As both clubs have their needs and will be keen to excite supporters with statement signings, Villa and Rangers could help one another out in the next transfer window. Emery’s side are interested in signing ‘Gers midfielder Nico Raskin and there’s a player who could head in the other direction in an exciting swap deal.

Although there’s not been any speculation to suggest it could happen, Birmingham World believes Villa should look to tempt Rangers with a player-plus-cash bid for Raskin. Ross Barkley, who has played a bit-part role this season due to injuries and the competitiveness in the squad, is dispensable to Villa and could be sacrificed to make a deal possible.

As Raskin and Barkley are both deep-lying playmakers who typically operate in a similar midfield double pivot for their respective teams, Rangers wouldn’t have to sign a replacement before letting their number 43 depart. Of course, the ‘Gers would feel short-changed by losing their player of the season, but a cash incentive as well as a ready-made replacement could be tempting.

Raskin, signed from Standard Liege for just £1.3 million in 2023, has racked up 93 appearances for Rangers to date. The 24-year-old, a current Belgium international, has predominantly played as a central midfielder or a defensive midfielder. More recently, Rankin has been heavily involved in Rangers’ scoring output, with one goal and three assists contributed in his last three appearances.

Barkley, meanwhile, has shown signs of promise since his £5 million summer 2024 arrival from Luton Town, but his opportunities have been limited. The 33-time former England international has racked up just 868 minutes across all competitions, though he’s still managed to contribute four goals and two assists. On average, Barkley has either scored or assisted a goal once every 144 minutes.

Raskin is reportedly valued at around £20 million by Rangers and Barkley’s current market value stands at about a third of that. As a result, Villa could lodge a first bid in the region of £12 million plus Barkley to try and entice the Glaswegians to accept.

There’s no guarantee this bold swap deal idea could work, but it could be a genius solution if Villa do indeed swoop for Raskin this summer.