STANDARD LIEGE have rejected a second bid from Rangers for midfielder Nicolas Raskin.
Boss Michael Beale has identified Raskin as one of his key targets for the final days of the January transfer window following the capture of Todd Cantwell on a long-term deal earlier this week.
Rangers have been admirers of Raskin for some time and made their move in recent days after tabling an offer to the Liege hierarchy.
Sources in Belgium valued that bid at around €500,000 as Rangers were told they would need to significantly raise their offer if a deal was to be done this month.
And the Ibrox board will now need to come back to the table for a third time if they are to land their man in the coming days after their follow up approach was also booted out.
Beale confirmed on Friday afternoon that no pre-contract agreement had been signed to bring Raskin to Ibrox in the summer as Ross Wilson, the sporting director, focused on getting a switch over the line by the close of business on Tuesday night.
Beale said: “It is not true that we have signed a pre-contract with anybody. So I can dispel that right now.
“He is obviously a player we like, there are negotiations going on between the clubs. They are not the only ones we are speaking to.”
The negotiations are still at an impasse, however, after Standard rebuffed a second approach from Rangers on Friday evening.
The Belgian outfit - who are managed by former Celtic boss Ronny Deila - are standing firm as they attempt to get as high a fee as possible for a player that will walk away for free at the end of the campaign.
Beale has been open about his eagerness to add to his squad this month but, speaking ahead of the Premiership fixture with St Johnstone, he insisted that Rangers would only do deals at the right price.
Beale said: “There are a lot of players. The summer window is a much better window for us as a football club, for every football club I think.
“The winter window, if you are in the market for players it seems like everyone knows you are. So it makes people be a little bit stubborn. Without talking about those two players, because there are three or four more we are speaking to, it is like if the deal is right now it is going to get done.
“If the deal is not right now we will move to the summer. In the summer, with the contract situation, it does open up space in the squad. I named a lot of players there in the final third without naming the midfielders like Lundstram, Kamara and Jack. Where are all these players playing? It is a big squad.
“I want the squad to be tight not too big that it becomes difficult to manage. I like to have everyone knowing that they are fighting for their way in and being keen.”
