Rangers and Celtic's Transfer Battles: Driouech and Ghedjemis

Rangers and Celtic are locked into very different transfer battles this week, but both Glasgow clubs are discovering the same truth: Europe’s market is unforgiving when it smells Premier League and Champions League money.

Rangers knocked back in Driouech chase

Rangers have seen an improved £6m bid for PSV Eindhoven winger Couhaib Driouech rejected, and the landscape around the 24-year-old is getting more crowded by the day.

Burnley and Celta Vigo have now stepped into the race, with talks described as being at an early stage. The moment PSV said no, the queue at the door began to form.

Rangers moved first and pushed again with that upgraded offer, but the player’s stance could yet prove decisive. Driouech is understood to hold a slight preference for Celta Vigo after the La Liga side entered the frame, a development that immediately tilts the axis of this pursuit.

PSV, for now, are standing firm. A second bid on the table, fresh interest from England and Spain, and no need to rush into a sale – the Dutch club hold a strong hand. Rangers are still in it, but no longer alone, and certainly no longer dictating the tempo.

Monaco, Celtic and Rangers collide over Ghedjemis

On another front, Rangers find themselves sharing a target with their city rivals.

Monaco have identified Fares Ghedjemis as their top priority for the right-wing role and are preparing an improved offer after their opening proposal was turned down. The French club’s first bid – £6m plus £1.7m in bonuses – was rejected by Frosinone.

The Italian side are not blinking. They have already knocked back £8.6m offers from both Celtic and Rangers for the 23-year-old Algeria international, underlining just how highly they value him and how fierce the competition has become.

Three clubs. One position. One player. Frosinone know exactly what they have, and they are pricing Ghedjemis accordingly. Any Scottish bid that goes back in now will be entering a full-scale auction.

Hassan on brink of Celtic move

While Ghedjemis remains out of reach for the moment, Celtic are much closer to landing another wide option.

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 currently dealing with visa issues, but an agreement has been reached for him 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.

That structure tells its own story: Celtic are betting on European qualification, and Oviedo are prepared to share in the upside.

Crucially, there is no resistance from Spain. Real Oviedo head coach Julian Calero has made it clear the club will not stand in Hassan’s way. The winger has been pulled from match action, the fee and terms are set, and only the paperwork stands between Celtic and their next attacking signing.

As Rangers wrestle with rival bids and reluctant sellers, Celtic appear to have one major wide target almost over the line. The question now is simple: who lands their winger first, and who is left scrambling when the music stops?