Rangers Rebuffed in Driouech Chase as Celtic Nears Hassan

Rangers and Celtic find themselves tangled in the same summer web: chasing wide players across Europe while rival clubs circle and selling clubs hold their nerve.

At PSV Eindhoven, Rangers have already hit a wall. An improved £6m bid for winger Couhaib Driouech has been rejected, with PSV standing firm as interest in the 24-year-old grows. Burnley and Celta Vigo have now joined the pursuit, and talks with both are described as being at an early stage, but the landscape has shifted.

Driouech, by all accounts, leans slightly towards Celta Vigo. The Spanish side’s arrival in the race has given the player a destination that fits both his style and his ambitions, nudging Rangers down the pecking order despite their willingness to raise their offer. For the Ibrox club, it is a familiar modern problem: money on the table, but not the only game in town.

Across the continent, another winger is at the centre of a multi-club tug-of-war. Monaco have made 23-year-old Algeria international Fares Ghedjemis their priority for the right flank. Their first proposal to Frosinone – £6m plus £1.7m in bonuses – has already been turned away. Frosinone have also rejected £8.6m bids from both Celtic and Rangers, underlining just how highly they value the player and how fierce the competition has become.

The message from Italy is clear: if anyone wants Ghedjemis, they will need to go higher, and Monaco are already planning an improved offer. For the Glasgow clubs, it is another reminder that the market they now shop in is crowded, aggressive and unforgiving.

Celtic, though, are much closer to the finish line with another target. 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 deal is effectively in place. Hassan is working through visa issues, but an agreement has been reached for him to sign with 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, a structure that reflects both Celtic’s domestic dominance and their recurring tilt at Europe’s top table.

Crucially, Real Oviedo head coach Julian Calero has made it clear the Spanish club will not stand in Hassan’s way. When a manager publicly steps aside, it usually means only the formalities remain.

So while Rangers wrestle with PSV over Driouech and watch Monaco drive up the price for Ghedjemis, Celtic are on the brink of landing Hassan on a long-term deal. Two rivals, three wingers, and one blunt reality of the modern market: opportunities are there, but hesitation is punished and sentiment counts for nothing.