I watched Rangers beat Aberdeen and noted curious Raskin case and in-demand starter who may get transfer

Rangers picked up their first win of the Premiership campaign with a 1-0 triumph away at Aberdeen.

Lawrence Shankland’s 69th-minute penalty was the difference at Pittodrie on Sunday as Derek McInnes’ men showed character three days on from a humbling European exit against Jablonec.

Mark Atkinson was at Pittodrie to cover proceedings for The Scotsman and picks out three talking points:

Kim Min-su dribbles past Dan Happe during a promising Rangers debut against Aberdeen. | SNS Group

Impressive debut by Rangers man

McInnes handed South Korean playmaker Kim Min-su his debut on Sunday and the 20-year-old, who was signed from Girona last week for £8.5 million, put in a strong performance.

A match against Aberdeen at Pittodrie is not an easy place to make your Rangers bow at the best of times, never mind on the back of an embarrassing European exit. But Kim did not look fazed by the occasion and was clearly the most creative player on the pitch.

Deployed in a No 10 role behind striker Lawrence Shankland and flanked by Djeidi Gassama and Findlay Curtis, Kim was able to take the ball in tight spaces and either drive at the Aberdeen defence or play in one of his attacking teammates.

He showed a nice first touch, was always eager to take in possession and looked comfortable running at opponents. He was unlucky not to score when cut inside and saw a shot blocked by Lewis Mayo.

McInnes was full of praise for Kim afterwards and believes he will also bring out the best in Shankland, who should benefit from having an inventive playmaker next to him.

Rangers have been crying out for some imagination from the centre of midfield and this was a good first impression from Kim, who will look to continue on Wednesday night against Falkirk.

Rangers boss Derek McInnes was pleased with Djeidi Gassama's performance against Aberdeen. | SNS Group

A conundrum over Gassama

Another Rangers player who shone at Pittodrie and was namechecked by McInnes afterwards was winger Gassama, who won the penalty kick that led to Shankland’s winner.

Gassama was stationed on the left flank and his pace and direct running gave Aberdeen right-back Chris Cadden an uncomfortable afternoon.

Afterwards, McInnes labelled Gassama’s performance “first class” - and then it emerged that RB Salzburg, who are managed by former Rangers boss Danny Rohl, are keen to sign the 22-year-old before the transfer window closes.

Gassama has also been linked with Monaco in his homeland and he is one of Rangers’ most valuable assets. Like every young winger, his end product can be scratchy, but given the emphasis McInnes puts on wide players in his team, you can understand why the manager would want to keep his skillset at Ibrox.

It may well be that the player wants a move, either back to France or to reunite with Rohl. Rangers would need to replace him should he leave, as his searing pace is a commodity Rangers need.

Curious case of Nicolas Raskin

For the second game in a row, Belgian midfielder Nicolas Raskin was omitted from the squad amid speculation that he is close to leaving Rangers.

The interesting note is that, according to McInnes, there have no been concrete bids. Now, that may have changed over the course of Sunday evening - and Rangers are clearly preparing for life without Raskin, who has courted some controversy during his time at Ibrox.

It feels like the right time for Rangers and Raskin to go their separate ways. After a good World Cup with Belgium, there should be no shortage of suitors for a player who can operate as a No 6 or a No 8. He has all the technical tools to operate at a higher level.

Perhaps Rangers have been stung by the Youssef Chermiti case, as the Portuguese was injured the weekend of receiving a reported £22 million bid for the player from Galatasaray. The Ibrox hierarchy don’t want another asset crocked.

But on his game, Raskin would surely improve Rangers’ midfield options. McInnes went with Dan Neil and Cammy Devlin as his two sitters against Aberdeen. Both did fine, but Raskin should be an upgrade.

A sale seems likely, and McInnes will likely be glad to stop being asked about the player. “There's certainly not been any offers for Nico, if that's the next question,” he said on Sunday, pre-empting talk of the player in his press conference.