Rangers are still seemingly confident of securing the services of Standard Liege starlet, Nicolas Raskin this month, despite facing a setback in their bid to land the Belgian playmaker.
What’s the word?
According to journalist Mark Hendry, the Ibrox outfit are said to still be “hopeful” that a deal for the 21-year-old can be agreed upon, having seen an initial bid rejected by the Pro League side.
Writing on Twitter regarding that development, the transfer insider stated: “Rangers hopeful of getting deal done this month but initial bid was knocked back. Both clubs still having dialogue and seem keen for an agreement.”
In the attached piece for Football Scotland, the report outlines that suggestions that the player has had a medical with the Old Firm giants are wide of the mark, although negotiations for the 5 foot 10 gem are still ongoing.
As the report also notes, the youngster is facing an uncertain future at his current side following a falling out with manager Ronny Deila, with a move seemingly on the cards with just six months remaining on his existing deal.
What’s the word?
Having previously been linked with a move to Glasgow over the summer during Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s time at the helm, it would appear Raskin is on the verge of finally linking up with the Light Blues this time around, with such an addition set to truly enhance Michael Beale’s current squad.
Lauded as a “leader” by the aforementioned Deila, the Belgium U21 international has been a shining light for his hometown club in recent times, notably illustrating his creative flair with four assists to his name in 16 league outings so far this season.
That has ensured the midfielder’s overall club career tally stands at five goals and 13 assists in 96 games at first-team level to date, having even been likened to Real Madrid’s Toni Kroos by talent scout Jacek Kulig as a marker of his playmaking brilliance.
Not only a player who can dictate proceedings from his “deep-lying” role, as described by Kulig, the former Gent youth product has also caught the eye due to his tenacious and combative nature in the centre of the park, having previously been lauded as a “pitbull” by journalist Bob Faesen.
That relentless, ball-winning prowess is evidenced by the fact that Raskin has averaged a stunning haul of 3.3 tackles per game in the league this term, with that far superior to the Gers’ current midfield trio of Ryan Jack (1.4), Glen Kamara (0.3) and John Lundstram (1.3).
The all-action sensation has only recently been praised as something of a midfield “monster” and “one of the best midfielders in the league” by his manager, with the former Celtic boss also noting that the contract rebel could well have made a difference for his country at the World Cup had he been selected.
As such, the signs all point to a player who is set to have a “great future” in the game – as per Deila – with it likely to be a real treat for Beale and co to be able to unleash the exciting ‘monster’ on the rest of the Scottish Premiership, if a deal can be wrapped up before deadline day.
