‘Rangers’ Rak-Sakyi bid rejected as £20m Crystal Palace transfer clue emerges’
Rangers have had an offer for Jesurun Rak-Sakyi rejected by Crystal Palace but an update on potential valuations for a deal has emerged.
Life under new Rangers manager Russell Martin has started well after their 2-0 first leg victory over Panathinaikos in Champions League qualification.
After a shaky first-half, the Scottish side found their rhythm in the second half as the players began to adapt to Martin’s new style of play.
The former Southampton boss came under fire during his final season at St Mary’s as his expansive football was torn apart in the Premier League, contributing to the Saints being relegated.
Consequently, the former Norwich player lost his job less than halfway through the season, but a period without managing has seen him come back to coach at the team he once played for.
As part of his busy summer transfer window, Martin is eager to bring in Crystal Palace ace Rak-Sakyi amid the 22-year-old’s frustration at limited minutes under Oliver Glasner.
Rangers in red-hot pursuit for Rak-Sakyi
As reported by David Ornstein for The Athletic (24 July), Rangers made an initial loan-to-buy offer with a permanent option worth up to £10million for 22-year-old Rak-Sakyi.
This offer was rejected by Palace, who had reportedly looked to the £20million fee London rivals Chelsea received from Ipswich for Omari Hutchinson a year ago as a possible guide.
The fee the Blues received was seen as a benchmark to Rak-Sakyi’s potential value, should he go out on loan and impress last term when he joined Sheffield United.
This suggests that Palace want more for the 22-year-old and will use the Hutchinson figure as a reference for a potential deal with Rangers or other clubs in the future.
A £20m fee may be justifiable at Crystal Palace
Given the comparisons made with the transfer figures of Rak-Sakyi and Hutchinson, does the former merit a £20m price tag?
When comparing the Championship statistics from Hutchinson’s debut 2023-24 season at Ipswich with Rak-Sakyi’s 2024-25 loan spell with the Blades, the numbers are interesting.
The former Sheffield United winger actually produced a goal involvement every 2.4 starts compared to Hutchinson’s 2.5 starts.
| Matches Played (Starts) | Goals | Assists | |
| Omari Hutchinson (2023-24 Ipswich) | 44 (38) | 10 | 5 |
| Jeresun Rak-Sakyi (2024-25 Sheffield) | 35 (22) | 7 | 2 |
Whilst the numbers are marginal, this suggests that Rak-Sakyi’s quality could be reflected in the £20m valuation the Eagles want to hold out for.
The rejection of Rangers’ bid will be frustrating for the 22-year-old as he looks to find more game time away from Selhurst Park.
But, at such a young age, the British-Ghanian is a tricky midfielder who could be worth up to £20m, should a bidding club submit an offer that Palace are demanding.
With two years left on his contract, Rak-Sakyi will be considering his options before his deal runs out.
Indeed, more loan moves may help improve his all-round game, but the former Chelsea academy product will be seeking a more permanent move to allow him to develop.