Glasgow Rangers have pulled out of the race to sign a Belgian midfielder, according to The 4th Official.

The Lowdown: Raskin's career so far

Recent reports from La Dernière Heure in Belgium have suggested that the Premiership giants are keen on signing Nicolas Raskin, with the midfielder eyeing a move away from his native country.

At the tender age of 21, he has already made 84 appearances for his current club Standard Liege, including six in the Jupiler Pro League this season.

Furthermore, he has earned caps for all of Belgium’s national teams at youth level from the under-15s all the way up to the under-21s.

The Latest: Raskin transfer latest

The 4th Official has shared an update on Rangers’ pursuit of Raskin, revealing that the Light Blues have now pulled out of negotiations due to the player's asking price.

Taking to Twitter, the reliable Ibrox insider - who first broke the news of Giovanni van Bronckhorst's appointment as manager last year - claimed: “Rangers are not actively pursuing Nicolas Raskin at the moment as the financial outlay seems too high. The club are looking at other options.”

The Verdict: Too expensive

As per La Dernière Heure, Standard Liege are demanding around €5.5m (£4.7m) for the midfielder, despite him having less than one year remaining on his current contract, so the Belgian outfit must duly consider Raskin to be a talented player with big potential.

Dubbed a ‘pitbull’ in midfield by journalist Bob Faesen, the youngster has the ability to play as a box-to-box midfielder or deep-lying playmaker, with this versatility perhaps having rendered him an attractive target for Van Bronckhorst’s side.

However, with no experience of club football outside of his home country, a £4.7m move for the 21-year-old seems excessive for the Light Blues.

A deal for Raskin seems highly unlikely for now, but it may be worth keeping tabs on this one from January onwards, when he may be available on a free transfer in a pre-contract deal similar to the one that Rangers completed for John Souttar earlier this year.