Rangers bid to sign Nicolas Raskin expected to drag out until deadline day as Standard Liege play hardball
Standard Liege are prepared to play hardball over Rangers target Nicolas Raskin, with the Belgian giants demanding a £2million fee to sign him, according to the Daily Mail.
The 21-year-old midfielder has long been a target for the Gers this month, as Michael Beale looks to complete his second signing of the month, having signed Todd Cantwell from Norwich City [Sky Sports, 23 January].
Rangers remain in discussions with the Belgian outfit for the talented player after seeing their initial bid for Raskin rejected on Thursday [Chris Jack, The Herald, 26 January].
That was confirmed in The Sun [26 January] on the same day, revealing that the Gers had a bid turned down for the player. However, talks are expected to continue as the player is a top target for Beale.
And according to the Daily Mail [page 84, 27 January], the Belgian giants are prepared to play hardball by demanding a £2million fee to sell the player this month, despite his contract at the club running out this summer.
The report states that the Gers will need to come up with a substantially higher offer to persuade Standard before Tuesday’s deadline.
Pay Up
Rangers are clearly after quality this month, and Raskin represents the perfect opportunity for Beale to refresh his squad with emerging talent.
The 21-year-old is the perfect profile for what he wants to bring into Ibrox this month, Young, agile, technically gifted and a player worthy of building a team around, the Belgian talent is just the tonic Rangers need.
Considering his huge potential and his perfect match to Beale’s style at the club, we believe Rangers must do all they can to secure his services, and that means paying the £2million.
Raskin could well form the bedrock of this Gers side for years to come alongside new signing Cantwell, morphing into the complete midfielder whilst aiding the club in their pursuit of titles under Beale’s guidance.
It’s a move which makes perfect sense. Pay up.
In other Rangers news, a club in Europe holds the option to re-sign a player from Ibrox whenever they like.