Driouech Transfer to Rangers Fails as PSV Faces Fourth Collapse

Couhaib Driouech’s transfer to Rangers has fallen through at the final hurdle, sending the winger back to PSV and leaving both clubs with more questions than answers.

The 24-year-old had already flown to Scotland, expecting to complete the switch in Glasgow. Talks dragged on for several days, but no agreement was reached, Eindhovens Dagblad reporter Rik Elfrink reported on Friday. The deal is off. Driouech goes back to Eindhoven.

Potential fee of up to €8 million.

For PSV, the collapse stings financially as well as sportingly. The club now has to wave goodbye to a potential fee of up to €8 million, a significant sum in a window where every euro is being counted.

What exactly broke down in negotiations remains unclear. No detailed explanation has emerged from either side, only the outcome: Driouech will not be wearing a Rangers shirt this season.

It is not an isolated incident. This is already the fourth transfer involving PSV to fall apart in the space of five months. Ricardo Pepi, Adamo Nagalo and Armando Obispo all saw proposed moves collapse before Driouech’s.

The winger’s sporting prospects in Eindhoven are uncertain. He missed the opening games of the season through injury and does not appear to be high in the pecking order anymore. Inside the club, the momentum has shifted.

Amir Bouhamdi, an academy product, has pushed himself to the front of the queue. The youngster has overtaken Driouech in the battle for minutes and is set to be rewarded with a new contract at the Philips Stadion.

While Driouech returns to a PSV side where his role looks diminished, the team itself has little time to dwell on transfer drama. Next up is a trip to Excelsior on Saturday evening, with kick-off at 20:00, after PSV were held to a frustrating 2-2 draw by Fortuna Sittard last weekend.

The question now is simple: can PSV turn a week of missed opportunities off the pitch into a statement performance on it?