Rangers and Celtic Pursue Wing Targets: Driouech, Ghedjemis, Hassan

Rangers and Celtic are hunting wide players from opposite ends of Europe, and the early exchanges of this window say plenty about where both Glasgow clubs stand.

Rangers Hit a Wall Over Driouech

Rangers went back to PSV Eindhoven with an improved £6m offer for Couhaib Driouech. It still wasn’t enough.

PSV rejected the bid, and the market around the 24-year-old has started to move. Burnley and Celta Vigo have stepped in, with talks described as being at an early stage, but they are in the room now – and that changes the tone of any negotiation.

Rangers are not out of the race, but they are no longer alone. Celta’s arrival is significant. Driouech is understood to hold a slight preference for the Spanish club, a nod to La Liga’s appeal and perhaps the style of football on offer there. If that lean hardens into a firm decision, Rangers will be forced either to raise the stakes or walk away.

For a club that has already pushed to £6m, this is the first real test of how far they are prepared to stretch for a wide player who clearly has admirers across the continent.

Monaco Push Hard for Ghedjemis

On the other flank of the market, Monaco have identified Fares Ghedjemis as their priority for the right wing.

The 23-year-old Algeria international is at the centre of a three-way tug-of-war, and Frosinone are standing firm. Monaco’s opening offer – £6m plus £1.7m in bonuses – has been turned down. So were £8.6m bids from both Celtic and Rangers.

That double rejection tells its own story. Frosinone know they have a premium asset and are willing to force the price higher, even when heavyweight names come calling. Monaco plan an improved offer, and with the French club making Ghedjemis a top target, the pressure is on any rival suitor to keep pace or step aside.

For Rangers and Celtic, Ghedjemis now looks like a battle that may simply become too expensive, too quickly.

Celtic Close In on Hassan

While one door narrows, another is swinging open for Celtic.

Haissem Hassan has been left out of Real Oviedo’s squad for their pre-season match against Le Havre, with the 24-year-old Egypt winger at the centre of a £9m bid from the Scottish champions and waiting for the go-ahead to undergo a medical.

The structure of the deal is clear. An agreement is in place for Hassan to join Celtic on a contract running until 2030. Real Oviedo stand to receive £6m up front, with a further £1.3m due if Celtic reach the Champions League proper.

There is one snag: visa issues. That is the final hurdle before the transfer can be completed, and it has delayed the formalities. On the football side, though, the path is clear.

Real Oviedo head coach Julian Calero has already made the club’s stance plain. They will not stand in the way of Hassan’s move. When a manager goes that public, it usually means everyone knows the outcome. It is now a matter of paperwork, not persuasion.

Diverging Summer Stories

So the picture sharpens.

Rangers are pushing against resistance for Driouech and have already been priced out, for now, on Ghedjemis. Celtic, having also seen their Ghedjemis bid knocked back, are on the brink of landing Hassan on a long-term deal that could grow in value if they keep returning to the Champions League stage.

Both clubs are active. Both are ambitious. Yet as it stands, only one of them looks close to getting a winger through the door.