Leeds United made a late approach to sign an "unbelievable" midfielder who the 49ers Enterprises know well, but he turned down a move to Elland Road.
Evans defends Leeds' transfer window
Leeds' managing director, Robbie Evans, has made it clear he was happy with the business that got done during the summer , despite admitting that deadline day was a "bad day at the end of a good window".
Evans said: "When we set out back in May, we had certain targets as far as key positions, key profiles, you know, estimates of the maximum available spend to get towards. And we checked all those boxes. So we brought in all the key players. Got them done early, all the key additions for Daniel,"
However, it is difficult to ignore the fact that deadline day was a distinct failure, as the Whites failed to get a deal for Fulham's Harry Wilson over the line, with it being widely reported the Cottagers pulled the plug on the move right at the end of the window.
Wilson was being targeted to bolster Daniel Farke's wide options, but it has since emerged that bringing in another central midfielder was on the to-do list in the latter stages of the summer, despite already signing Anton Stach and Sean Longstaff.
According to a report from The Boot Room, Leeds made a late approach to sign Rangers midfielder Nicolas Raskin, a club also owned by the 49ers Enterprises, but he turned down a move to Elland Road, with the 24-year-old keen to fight for his future at Ibrox.
raskin-rangers-celtic
The Whites made initial contact over a deal, but the move did not advance, and they ultimately didn't manage to bring in another central midfielder, which could be an issue in the coming weeks, given the injury issues Farke is being forced to deal with.
Missing out on "unbelievable" Raskin could be blow for Leeds
The Belgian was left out of the Rangers squad for their recent 0-0 draw against Celtic, amid doubts over his future, which was a blow for Russell Martin, given that the maestro has previously caught the eye against the Gers' bitter rivals.
Alex McLeish lauded the Rangers star for an "unbelievable" performance against the Hoops last season, and he has impressed considerably from a defensive point of view over the course of the past year.
Statistic Average per 90
Tackles 4.11 (99th percentile)
Interceptions 1.50 (87th percentile)
Blocks 2.15 (99th percentile)
As such, the five-time Belgium international being uninterested in a move to Leeds is disappointing, especially given Farke's ongoing injury problems.
It remains to be seen whether Leeds reignite their interest in Raskin, but it could be a relatively costly operation if they do, with the Scottish side thought to be demanding at least £25m.