Chermiti Injury Hits Rangers Hard as Driouech Transfer Nears

Rangers’ summer took a brutal twist at Ibrox, and it had nothing to do with the scoreboard.

Youssef Chermiti, the striker they turned down big money for only hours earlier, now faces “a significant period of time” on the sidelines after suffering an ACL injury in Sunday’s defeat to Hibernian.

The 22-year-old crashed into the pitchside boards in the first half and immediately signalled trouble. He left the stadium in a protective boot, his knee strapped in a brace. Any lingering hope it was precautionary quickly faded.

For a club already nursing early-season frustration, this was the worst possible sight.

From prized asset to long-term absentee

The timing could hardly be crueller. On the same day Rangers rejected a substantial offer from Galatasaray, their most valuable attacking asset was being helped off on a stretcher.

Chermiti has been central to the new project at Ibrox. Signed from Everton last summer in a deal worth up to £10m, the Portugal U21 international repaid that faith with 15 goals and five assists across all competitions last season. Those numbers, and his trajectory, persuaded the Ibrox hierarchy to value him above the club-record fee they banked for Calvin Bassey’s move to Ajax in 2023, an initial £19.6m.

He had started brightly again on Sunday. His manager saw it clearly.

“Disappointed for the big fella that he has to come off on a stretcher. I thought he was looking bright and running gaps,” he said after the defeat, which leaves him winless in his first three matches in charge. “He played with a bit of purpose and there's no doubt we missed that, but he's left in a boot and his knee in a brace.

“It's no surprise that he's a player who's got a big tag on him and he's got high potential, but thankfully he's our player and that will continue to be the case.”

The message was defiant. The reality is brutal. Rangers must now reshape an attack built around a forward who will not be available for months.

Driouech on the way as rebuild accelerates

Rangers have not been idle in the market. Nine signings are already through the door, and a tenth is close.

A £6.5m agreement is in place with PSV Eindhoven for winger Couhaib Driouech, who is undergoing his medical and finalising paperwork ahead of a move to Ibrox. Burnley and Celta Vigo had both tracked the 21-year-old, but Rangers have pushed hardest and are set to be rewarded.

Driouech arrives with a profile that fits the club’s current model: young, quick, with European pedigree and resale value. He has scored 12 goals in 61 games for PSV, adding 10 assists, and found the net three times in last season’s Champions League. Born in Holland, he previously featured for Heerenveen and Excelsior and has been capped by Morocco at U23 level.

With Chermiti out, the importance of that deal just went up a notch.

More reinforcements to come

The recruitment drive will not stop at Driouech. At Monday’s shareholder meeting, chairman Andrew Cavenagh confirmed Rangers plan to add between three and five more players before the window closes.

The defence is high on the list. The backline is expected to be strengthened before Scotland’s 5pm deadline on September 3, with options already identified.

Aston Villa right-back Kosta Nedeljkovic has emerged as a possible addition after initial talks. Rangers are also weighing up a move for Hugo Siquet of Club Brugge, another right-sided defender who fits the age and development profile the club has increasingly targeted.

On the opposite flank, former Hearts left-back James Penrice, now at AEK in Greece, has been discussed as a potential solution.

A test of Rangers’ new era

Injury, rejection of a major bid, a flurry of signings, a manager still searching for his first win: Rangers’ season is barely underway and already feels loaded with turning points.

Chermiti’s setback strips away a key pillar of the attack just as the club was staking its valuation – and its ambition – on him. The response in the coming weeks, both on the pitch and in the market, will reveal how sturdy the new structure at Ibrox really is.