STANDARD LIEGE have rejected a bid from Rangers for midfielder Nicolas Raskin.
Boss Michael Beale completed his first switch of the January transfer window when Todd Cantwell put pen-to-paper on a long-term deal earlier this week.
But the move for Raskin remains in deadlock and Rangers will now need to go back to the negotiating table after Liege rebuffed an initial approach.
The Belgian youth internationalist has been heading for the exit door in Liege for some time after falling out of favour with former Celtic boss Ronny Deila.
Rangers have been long time admirers of Raskin and Beale confirmed that he was keen to do a deal for the 21-year-old ahead of the Scottish Cup clash with St Johnstone at the weekend.
Beale said: "A player I remember a lot from the time we played Standard Liege [in October 2020 in the Europa League]. He missed the first game against Rangers that night when Kemar Roofe scored that amazing goal but he played in the second leg.
"He is a player I am aware of, a very good player who is obviously out of contract in the summer and is attracting a lot of attention. There is an interest from us but I am sure there is from a number of clubs."
That interest has been stepped up in recent days but Rangers and Liege remain apart in their valuations and further discussions will now need to be held if a deal is to be done.
The capture of Raskin would be a significant coup for Beale as he looks to make his mark on the squad that he inherited from Giovanni van Bronckhorst last month.
Beale will address the media once again on Friday ahead of the Premiership fixture with St Johnstone and he could hand Cantwell his debut against Callum Davidson's side.
“I am extremely happy to welcome Todd to Rangers," Beale said of the former Canaries playmaker. "He is a player that is fully aligned to our playing style and we believe he will be a key player for the club in the coming seasons.
“I am looking forward to working with him on the pitch this week and integrating him into our fantastic football club.”
