Rangers and Celtic's Battle for Wingers Heats Up
Rangers and Celtic are hunting wide players from all angles, but as one Glasgow giant hits a wall, the other looks close to breaking through.
Rangers Knocked Back as Driouech Market Opens Up
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 moment the door stayed shut, fresh footsteps were heard in the corridor. Burnley and Celta Vigo have both moved into the race for the 24-year-old winger, with talks described as being at an early stage.
That early stage matters. It gives Rangers time, but it also gives Driouech options. And he has one in mind.
Reports indicate the forward holds a slight preference for Celta Vigo after the Spanish club joined the chase. La Liga football, Spanish lifestyle, a different type of stage. It’s a pull Rangers will have to fight hard against if they decide to go back in again.
Right now, PSV hold the cards. Rangers have shown intent and money, but no agreement. Burnley lurk with Premier League resources. Celta Vigo offer the allure of Spain. Driouech, suddenly, is no longer just a Glasgow target. He’s a full-blown auction.
Monaco, Celtic and Rangers Locked Out of Ghedjemis Deal
On the other flank of the market, another winger has become a focal point for some of Europe’s biggest shoppers.
Monaco have identified 23-year-old Algeria international Fares Ghedjemis as their top target for the right-wing role. They put £6m on the table, plus £1.7m in bonuses. Frosinone said no.
That rejection came after the Italian club had already turned down £8.6m offers from both Celtic and Rangers. Three clubs, three serious bids, one firm stance from Frosinone.
The message is clear: they believe Ghedjemis is worth more, and they are prepared to hold out.
Monaco are not walking away. An improved offer is being prepared, and with Celtic and Rangers already knocked back at a higher figure, the French club now look best placed to push the deal forward. For the Old Firm, this feels like one that may be slipping away unless the market shifts dramatically.
Celtic Zero In on Hassan as Deal Nears Completion
While Rangers wrestle with resistance, Celtic are closing in.
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 the subject of a £9m bid from the Scottish champions and waiting for the green light to undergo a medical.
The numbers behind the move underline Celtic’s commitment. An agreement is in place for 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 what’s holding up the final step, not hesitation from either club.
Real Oviedo head coach Julian Calero has made the situation plain. He has revealed they will not stand in Hassan’s way. When a manager speaks like that, the direction of travel is obvious.
So Celtic wait. The player is out of the squad, the fee is agreed, the contract is lined up. Only paperwork stands between them and a new winger locked in for the long term.
A Window Defined by Wide Men
Across this window, the Old Firm have circled the same positions, sometimes the same players, and found very different outcomes.
Rangers’ £6m push for Driouech has been rebuffed, and the field around the PSV winger has grown crowded. Their joint interest with Celtic in Ghedjemis has been met with a hard “no” from Frosinone, even at £8.6m.
Celtic, though, look set to land Hassan, a £9m swing on a player they believe can stretch defences all the way to 2030.
The numbers are rising, the targets are narrowing, and the season is coming fast. Who finds the cutting edge out wide first may well decide who finishes with the sharper edge in May.
