Former Rangers target spotted in training just days after 'failed medical' transfer collapse

Driouech, 24, was in the stands for last week’s Europa League playoff game with Jagiellonia and appeared to be edging closer to a move to Rangers after the club agreed a seven-figure fee with the Dutch giants for the Moroccan, only for the plug to be pulled just hours later after an issue was flagged in his medical.

Following the collapse of the move, PSV technical director Earnest Stewart admitted that Driouech had been left “deeply upset” by Rangers’ decision to pull out of the transfer, with the winger said to have been keen to complete a switch to Glasgow this summer. “He went there with a minor injury,” said Stewart. “They are making this decision based on immediate availability, whereas it was a four-year contract. It is a minor injury; surely you can still enjoy someone for 200 weeks after that?

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“They estimate the period he will be unable to play to be much longer than we do. From what I understood, six weeks. So we think it is considerably shorter. Couhaib is deeply upset by it. It is very unfortunate. He was left in uncertainty for 48 hours. We are now getting a disillusioned player back. That is not nice.”

With the move cancelled, the player returned to the Netherlands, leaving PSV head coach Peter Bosz equally bemused. The 62-year-old boss ruled him out of their weekend game with Excelsior, but confirmed he would return to the squad as soon as he was able to, following the niggle.

“The clubs had reached an agreement,” said Bosz. “I thought everything was settled. I haven’t had any further contact with him, so I don’t know when he will be back. In a situation like this, you sit down with him, talk and listen. I understand very well that it is a huge disappointment. That is allowed, I get that, but it has to go away, and preferably as soon as possible. Only then will he be available again”

Set to face Groningen in the Eredivisie at the Philips Stadium this weekend, the 24-year-old has been spotted back in training already by Dutch journalist Mounir Boualin, who posted a video to his social media page of Driouech in session with the PSV first-team, writing: “Where Rangers concluded that Couhaib Driouech would be unavailable for about six weeks, the winger is already back on the training pitch at PSV, just a few days after the deal fell through.”