Rangers’ latest transfer target can probably sympathise with the situation Jefte Vital found himself in during the January window.
Philippe Clement’s side agreed terms with the left-back’s parent club Fluminense, per Fabrizio Romano. But with Jefte on loan at Cypriot outfit APOEL Nicosia until the end of 2023/24, the talented Brazilian had no choice but to wait, bide his time, and ensure that his continued good form would earn him a belated move to Ibrox a few months down the line.
Jefte got his wish, at last, when Rangers finally snapped up the 21-year-old in mid-June.
In the case Couhaib Driouech, it was a move to the Dutch champions that was dangled in front of them and then brutally snatched away.
“It was a rollercoaster,” sighs the Excelsior winger Driouech, speaking to Kick ‘t Met about a long-running transfer saga which ended in disappointment for both him and PSV Eindhoven.
“When a club of such calibere comes, you can’t say no. The clubs had back and forth contact, you know how that works. Then Feyenoord joined (PSV in the race). It suddenly became a soap opera.”
“In the end, Excelsior didn’t come to an agreement with PSV.”
Rangers now in pursuit of Excelsior’s Couhaib Driouech
Driouech explains that, due to Excelsior’s inability to find a replacement, he was forced to stay put.
“‘We can’t let you go,’ they told me. But I still have faith and confidence in myself that it might happen next summer,” adds the 22-year-old. “Not necessarily PSV, but I do hope that other clubs will come.”
Like Jefte, Driouech wish should finally come true. Albeit a few months later than he’d have liked.
According to FC Update, Rangers are the latest side to join PSV, Feyenoord, RC Lens and Sporting Lisbon in pursuit of the winger. There is space in Philippe Clement’s side for a right-footed left winger following the departures of loan duo Abdallah Sima and Fabio Silva.
Driouech, fast, positive and direct, certainly fits the bill. He scored eight goals and set up eight more last season from that flank. Almost Ryan Kent-esque in the way he breezes past full-backs with a burst of acceleration.
What’s more, he would cost a mere fraction of the fees Brighton and Wolves would demand for Sima and Silva, meanwhile. PSV had an offer of £1.7 million rejected. But, with Driouech’s contract expiring in 2025, it won’t take much more than that to convince Excelsior to cash in.
The new Abdallah Sima at Ibrox?
Of course, any new player at Rangers must contend with the pressures and the attention life in the Glasgow goldfish bowl brings. But Driouech has already proven in the Netherlands – albeit at a lowly Excelsior side who only avoided relegation via the play-offs – that he thrives in the face of pressure, relishing the challenge up against full-backs who are not afraid to stick the boot in.
Attributes which earned him the admiration of Dutch legend Rafael van der Vaart.
“Driouech has of course gone through a very difficult period,” Van der Vaart told ESPN after the speedster bounced back from the collapse of his PSV move with a dazzling display against Sparta Rotterdam.
“(My fellow pundit and ex-Barcelona ace Ibrahim Affelay) has already portrayed him as a great talent. And if you play like he did against Sparta…
“He really got three death kicks, one of which should certainly have been red. Big compliment for that boy (for dealing with those fouls). This is what a professional should be.
“He is a great example for many football players, I think, especially after such disappointment that you did not get a transfer.”
Driouech might have been left dejected in January. That should turn to delight in July, however, as Rangers become the latest club to make their interest known.
