Hull City 'confident' of signing Nicolas Raskin after another Rangers deal agreed
Hull City are stepping up their pursuit of Rangers star Nicolas Raskin as they step up plans to improve their Premier League squad.
This comes as Hull edge towards completing the signing of Jack Butland from the Ibrox club, as he was granted permission to travel to Yorkshire to complete a move.
Raskin, 25, is believed to be high on Sergej Jakirovic's list of midfield targets and they are now prepared to compete with rivals clubs across Europe for his signature.
Former Hull defender Mick Brown, who remains well-connected at the club, told Football Insider that the Tigers are confident they can beat rivals to agree a deal for Raskin.
Their deal to sign Butland, and Ivor Pandur's move in the opposite direction, mean the clubs are already on good terms and talks could take place during negotiations.
Raskin is currently at the World Cup with Belgium, but Rangers have been bracing for offers, and Hull could now make the first move to steal a march on their rivals.
How do Rangers feel about selling Nicolas Raskin?
Football Insider revealed on 22 June that Rangers have placed a £20million price tag on Raskin as they brace to receive offers given the growing interest.
The Ibrox club have been reluctant to lose their star midfielder in recent windows, but believe it may be difficult to prevent his departure should a significant offer arrive.
Whether Hull are willing to match his asking price is currently unclear, but the newly-promoted Premier League outfit are confident there is a deal to be done.
"Hull have to do what they can to be ambitious in the transfer window," Brown told Football Insider.
"It's going to be difficult for them, they didn't expect to get promoted, and now they know they need to make major improvements to the sqaud if they want to stay up.
"They've never been shy of spending money and refreshing the team, but then it's about where they can go to get these players.
"Nicolas Raskin is somebody they've identified and they think he will be availble from Rangers. There's obviously a lot of interest, but they're confident they can do a deal.
"Hull can't afford to shop in that top echelon of players because there will be bigger clubs with bigger budgets competing, but signing one of Rangers' best players would be a good deal.
"It's something they're looking to do, and from a Rangers point of view, it might be hard to stop him moving to the Premier League.
"That's the big advantage Hull have to use to beat their rivals to deals now, they're in the Premier League and they can offer players the chance to make that step."
Which other clubs are interested in signing Raskin?
Hull are far from the only side keeping a close eye on Raskin's situation, with Premier League rivals and teams across Europe hoping to lure him away from Ibrox.
Clubs in the Serie A and Turkish Super Lig are also believed to be keen, and he has been heavily linked with the likes of Bologna, Besiktas and Fenerbahce in recent months.
Leeds considered a move for their midfielder upon their promotion to the top flight one year ago, similar to Hull, while Spurs were tipped to swoop in January.
Both clubs are still believed to hold an interest in the Belgian international, but Hull hope they can steal a march by making an early move.