Couhaib Driouech resumed training with PSV Eindhoven on Tuesday, just four days after Rangers terminated his £8 million move due to injury concerns discovered during his medical examination. The Moroccan winger’s swift return to the pitch offers a starkly different picture from the Scottish club’s prognosis of a six-week absence, though PSV has clarified that individual training does not yet signal match readiness or a full return to group sessions.
Medical disagreement derails Glasgow switch
PSV and Rangers had agreed terms on an eight million euro transfer, with Driouech travelling to Glasgow to complete the formalities. He watched Rangers’ European clash against Jagiellonia Białystok from Ibrox’s stands as the deal appeared done, a four-year contract plus one optional year in place. The thigh injury identified in Rangers’ medical checks proved decisive: the Scottish side viewed the setback as requiring approximately six weeks of recovery and sought an immediately available alternative instead.
PSV’s sporting director Earnest Stewart presented a contrasting timeline. The club maintained that Driouech had already entered the final recovery phase before departing for Scotland and expected him available within a week of the failed transfer. This fundamental disagreement—roughly five weeks separated the two assessments—became the fracture point that collapsed the move.
Why Rangers’ caution reflects their competitive window
The Rangers’ decision to walk away hinged not simply on injury length but on the timing within their season. A six-week absence would have sidelined their new signing through a critical fixture list, forcing the squad to function without an attacking player recruited to strengthen their depth. Choosing instead to acquire a player capable of immediate impact underscores how mid-season transfers demand operational readiness, not convalescent promises. PSV’s more optimistic recovery curve offered no such guarantee.
Driouech’s path forward under Bosz
The winger remains contracted to PSV until June 2029 and must now integrate back into Peter Bosz’s plans. The Dutch manager has publicly stated his continued belief in Driouech and expects him to contribute for the remainder of the campaign. His appearance on the training pitch this week serves as an initial confidence marker, though a full squad return likely remains weeks away. The transfer window’s closure may yet bring further movement, but Driouech’s immediate focus is regaining match fitness within the club that retained him.
