Celtic and Rangers in High-Stakes Wide-Man Battle as European Clubs Join
The Scottish giants are deep into a summer arms race out wide – and the rest of Europe has just joined in.
Rangers Knocked Back in Driouech Chase
Rangers have seen an improved £6m bid for PSV Eindhoven winger Couhaib Driouech rejected, just as the market around the 24-year-old has started to heat up.
Burnley and Celta Vigo have now stepped into the contest, with talks described as being at an early stage. The timing is awkward for Rangers. They moved first, they came back with more money, and still PSV said no.
The bigger concern in Glasgow will be Driouech’s preference. The forward is understood to lean slightly towards Celta Vigo after the La Liga club made their interest clear. Spanish football, a major league, a different lifestyle – it all pulls in a direction that does Rangers no favours.
For PSV, there is no rush to fold. With multiple clubs at the table and no need to cash in quickly, they can wait for the right number. For Rangers, who have already seen one improved offer turned away, the question is simple: push again, or walk away?
Monaco, Celtic and Rangers All Blocked in Ghedjemis Battle
On the other flank of the market, another winger has become a flashpoint between Scotland and the continent.
Monaco have made 23-year-old Algeria international Fares Ghedjemis their top priority for the right wing. The Ligue 1 club tabled an offer worth £6m plus £1.7m in bonuses to Frosinone – and were rebuffed.
They are not alone in frustration. Frosinone have already turned down £8.6m bids from both Celtic and Rangers for the same player. When a club is rejecting that level of money from three different suitors, the message is clear: they believe Ghedjemis is worth more, or worth keeping.
Monaco plan to return with an improved offer. Celtic and Rangers now face a dilemma. Matching or beating a fresh Monaco bid would drag them into a financial arm wrestle with a club operating on a different economic level. Step aside, and they risk watching a long-term target head to the Riviera.
Either way, Ghedjemis has become a litmus test for how far Scottish clubs are willing – or able – to go in this window.
Hassan Edges Closer to Celtic Switch
While Rangers grapple with rejection and resistance, Celtic are closing in on a winger of their own.
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 advanced. An agreement is in place for Hassan to join Celtic on a contract running until 2030. Real Oviedo are poised to bank £6m up front, with a further £1.3m due if Celtic reach the Champions League proper.
The only thing slowing the move is paperwork. Hassan is dealing with visa issues, a bureaucratic snag rather than a footballing one.
Crucially, Real Oviedo head coach Julian Calero has made the club’s stance plain: they will not stand in the player’s way. When a manager goes that public, it usually signals the endgame. The club are ready to sell, the player is ready to move, and Celtic have put serious money on the table.
A Window That Could Redraw the Old Firm’s Wide Options
So the picture is stark. Celtic look set to land Hassan, a long-term attacking investment tied down until 2030, while still probing the market for further width. Rangers are battling PSV and Frosinone’s resolve and now must fend off competition from La Liga, Ligue 1 and the Premier League.
The stakes are obvious. In a title race often decided by fine margins and moments of individual brilliance, which club emerges from this window with the sharper, more dangerous wide players?
