Glasgow Rangers appear to be close to reaching an agreement to sign a long-term target as Michael Beale ramps up his efforts to improve his squad before the transfer window shuts…

What’s the news?

Belgian journalist Sacha Tavolieri tweeted regarding Standard Liege midfielder Nicolas Raskin and the fact Rangers appear to have held discussions with him, saying:

“Things are moving for Nicolas #Raskin ! Concrete interest and advanced discussions with #RangersFC . More info and details in the next few days…”

The Ibrox side were first linked with Raskin during the summer, however no move ever materialised with the Belgian outfit demanding a fee of €5.5m (£4.8m), yet with his contract set to expire at the end of the campaign, Beale might be able to secure his signature for a bargain fee this month.

A dream signing for Beale

There could be a mass exodus of midfielders come the end of the current campaign, with Scott Arfield, Steven Davis, and Ryan Jack all out of contract, while Malik Tillman and James Sands set to return to their parent clubs, therefore adding a few players this month will be crucial for Beale.

With Todd Cantwell also close to securing a deal with the Light Blues subject to a medical, one or two more midfielders wouldn’t be a bad thing and Raskin could prove to be an excellent signing.

The 21-year-old Belgian has an average rating of 7.01 across his 16 appearances for Liege this season and underlining his creative attributes by grabbing four assists, creating four big chances, and making 1.1 key passes per match and these performances rank him as the club's sixth best performer in the squad this term.

It’s clear he has an attacking edge about him, but his defensive skillset is also extremely strong and he is similar to Ryan Jack in the way he operates on the pitch, a determined and combative player who likes to get stuck in, and by averaging 3.3 tackles per game, there is no shortage of fear in his game.

Raskin - who is a "box-to-box" and versatile "pitbull", in the words of journalist Bob Faesen - could very well become a dream signing for Beale, adding some quality to the middle of the pitch, and giving the Englishman another option to choose from.

It looks increasingly likely that there will be outgoings, whether it is this month or the summer, but luring Raskin to Glasgow now would certainly allow him to bed into the manager's philosophy and could give the side a big advantage heading into next season.