Rangers star Ruled Out Long-Term with ACL Injury as Rangers Weigh Up Replacement Forward, Close In on Driouech, and Open Talks for Meghoma
Rangers have been dealt a significant blow after confirming that striker Youssef Chermiti will be sidelined for “a significant period of time” following an ACL injury sustained during Sunday’s 2-1 defeat to Hibernian at Ibrox. The 22-year-old went down in the first half after a collision with the pitchside advertising boards and was ultimately forced off, leaving the field on a stretcher and departing the stadium in a protective boot and knee brace.
The timing of the injury has added an extra layer of significance to what was already a difficult afternoon for Rangers. Only hours before kick-off, it had emerged that the Ibrox club had turned down a substantial bid from Turkish giants Galatasaray for Chermiti’s services — meaning a player the club had just demonstrated its determination to keep now finds himself facing an extended spell on the sidelines regardless
An anterior cruciate ligament tear is among the more serious injuries a footballer can suffer, typically requiring surgery followed by a rehabilitation process that can stretch anywhere from six months to closer to a year, depending on the individual case and the specific nature of the damage. While the club’s confirmation that Chermiti will be out for “a significant period of time” stops short of specifying an exact timeline, injuries of this type routinely rule players out for the majority, if not the entirety, of a season.
For a Rangers side already searching for attacking consistency and cutting edge in the early weeks of the campaign, the loss of their most productive forward from last season represents a considerable setback — not just in terms of goals and creativity lost from the side, but in terms of the broader planning and squad-building work Derek McInnes and his recruitment team now have to reassess at relatively short notice.
Speaking in the aftermath of Sunday’s defeat — a result that left him still searching for his first win as Rangers manager after three matches in charge — McInnes was visibly disappointed by what had happened to his forward. He said he felt for “the big fella” having to be helped off on a stretcher, adding that Chermiti had looked “bright” and had been “running gaps” effectively before the injury occurred. McInnes praised the sense of purpose the striker had brought to Rangers’ play in the time he was on the pitch, acknowledging that his side had “no doubt” missed that presence once he departed.
The Rangers boss also touched on the broader significance of Chermiti within the squad, noting that it was “no surprise” a player carrying “a big tag” and “high potential” would attract external interest of the kind seen from Galatasaray, but stressing that, regardless of any transfer speculation, Chermiti remains a Rangers player and that this will continue to be the case.
The context behind Chermiti’s situation adds further intrigue to an already eventful few days for Rangers. The club’s decision to reject Galatasaray’s approach reflects the value now placed on the striker following an impressive debut campaign in Scottish football. Since arriving from Everton last summer in a deal that could rise to around £10 million, Chermiti scored 15 goals and provided five assists across all competitions — output that has clearly persuaded Rangers’ hierarchy that his long-term value to the club exceeds even a substantial one-off transfer fee.
That valuation is reflected in how the Ibrox hierarchy reportedly rate him relative to previous high-profile departures from the club. Chermiti’s valuation is understood to now sit above the club-record fee received for defender Calvin Bassey, who left for Ajax in an initial deal worth around £19.6 million back in 2023 — a transfer that, at the time, represented a landmark sale for the club. That Chermiti is now valued more highly than that deal underlines just how significant his development and impact have been in a relatively short space of time at Ibrox, and helps explain why Rangers were willing to turn down a lucrative offer for a player who, ironically, would go on to suffer a serious injury on the very same afternoon that decision was made public
With Chermiti now facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines, attention has understandably turned to how Rangers intend to respond in the transfer market. It’s understood the club are actively assessing options to bring in another forward before the summer window closes, recognising that Chermiti’s absence leaves a gap in attacking areas that needs to be addressed if McInnes’s side are to maintain any competitiveness on multiple fronts this season.
Several possible targets are said to be under consideration as Rangers weigh up their options, though it’s understood no discussions are currently taking place over a move for Ryan One of Sheffield United, contrary to some reports linking the striker with a switch to Ibrox. That detail is a useful reminder of how quickly speculation can circulate in the current transfer climate, with names attached to clubs on the back of loose reporting rather than genuine, active negotiation
Elsewhere in the squad, Rangers’ pursuit of PSV Eindhoven winger Couhaib Driouech continues to move toward completion. The 24-year-old is understood to be in the process of finalising his medical and the accompanying paperwork required to formalise a move worth around £6.5 million — a deal that, once completed, will represent Rangers’ tenth signing of the summer transfer window.
Securing Driouech’s signature is understood to have come at the expense of interest from elsewhere, with Rangers reported to have beaten off competition from Premier League side Burnley as well as Spanish club Celta Vigo in the race for his services. His statistical output for PSV last season lends weight to the level of interest in his signature: across 61 appearances for the Dutch club, Driouech scored 12 goals and provided 10 assists, with three of those goals coming in the Champions League — evidence of a player capable of performing on the continent’s biggest stage, not just domestically in the Eredivisie.
For Derek McInnes, who has been vocal about wanting more creativity and end product from his side’s wide areas, the arrival of a player with Driouech’s attacking output represents an important step toward addressing that specific need — one made all the more pressing by the uncertainty now surrounding Chermiti’s recovery timeline.
Rangers’ summer business isn’t confined to attacking reinforcements. The club have also entered discussions with Brentford over a potential loan move for left-back Jayden Meghoma, as McInnes continues to look for further options at full-back. While it’s understood that negotiations over the structure of a possible loan are not yet at an advanced stage, there remains genuine hope within the club that, should suitable terms be agreed, Meghoma could be available for selection in time to feature in Rangers’ League Cup fixture against St Mirren on Sunday.
The 20-year-old is a familiar face at Ibrox, having spent the previous season on loan with Rangers, during which he made 44 appearances for the club — a substantial run of games that will have given McInnes and his coaching staff a detailed, first-hand understanding of what he offers, reducing much of the uncertainty that typically accompanies a new signing.
Meghoma is not the only left-back option Rangers have been exploring. Former Hearts defender James Penrice has also been under consideration, though it’s understood his current club, AEK Athens, are reluctant to sanction a loan exit for the player, which may complicate any move in that direction.
Adding further urgency to the situation at left-back, Rangers have also been closely monitoring the fitness of Tuur Rommens, who has been struggling with a groin injury that could rule him out of the club’s upcoming fixtures. Should Rommens be unavailable for a period, the need to secure another recognised option in that position — whether Meghoma, Penrice, or an alternative — becomes considerably more pressing for a squad already dealing with one significant injury absence in Chermiti.
Rangers’ recruitment activity extends beyond the forward and left-back positions as well. The club remain in talks with Aston Villa regarding a potential move for right-back Kosta Nedeljković, continuing a pursuit that has been the subject of speculation for several days. Alongside that, there is understood to be genuine interest from Club Brugge full-back Hugo Siquet in making the move to Ibrox himself, though the Belgian club are reported to be reluctant to let the 24-year-old leave, which may complicate any potential deal.
Taken together, the interest in both Nedeljković and Siquet suggests Rangers continue to view right-back as an area of the squad requiring further strengthening, even after having already brought in Ross McCrorie earlier in the window. It also illustrates how Rangers appear to be keeping multiple options open simultaneously across several positions, a sensible approach given how unpredictable late-window negotiations can prove — as recent reporting around other clubs’ collapsed transfers has demonstrated.
All of this activity fits within the wider framework laid out by Rangers chairman Andrew Cavenagh, who has already confirmed to shareholders that the club expects to add somewhere in the region of three to five further players before the transfer window shuts in Scotland on 3 September. With Driouech expected to be the next name confirmed, taking Rangers’ summer signing tally into double figures, that leaves room for several more additions across multiple positions — appearing to align closely with the areas of interest already being reported, from the forward line to both full-back positions.
Rangers’ business this summer has not been confined solely to incoming transfers. As the club continues reshaping its squad, midfielder Mohamed Diomande is expected to be among the next departures from Ibrox, with Turkish club Çorum FK reported to be closing in on a deal worth around £4.5 million to sign him. His expected exit reflects the broader churn taking place within the Rangers squad this summer, as the club balances continued investment in certain positions with the sale of players no longer considered central to McInnes’s plans.
Taken as a whole, the past few days at Ibrox illustrate just how much is happening simultaneously behind the scenes as Rangers try to navigate the closing stages of the transfer window. A serious injury to one of the squad’s most important attacking players has forced an immediate reassessment of forward-line options, even as an existing deal for a like-for-like creative wide player in Driouech edges toward completion. At the same time, the club are working on multiple fronts to add defensive reinforcements, weighing loan and permanent options at both full-back positions while also managing a fitness concern for an existing squad member in Rommens.
Layered on top of all this is the broader context of a difficult start to the season on the pitch, with McInnes still searching for his first win in charge and Rangers already facing a gap in the table to Celtic. The scale and pace of the club’s transfer activity — a tenth signing imminent, several more targeted, and at least one significant departure in the pipeline — reflects an ownership group clearly determined to back their manager and continue reshaping the squad, even as results have yet to catch up with the scale of that investment.
For Rangers supporters, the coming days are likely to bring further clarity on several fronts at once: whether the Driouech deal is formally completed, whether talks over Meghoma progress to a concrete agreement in time for the St Mirren fixture, and whether the club moves further in its efforts to add a replacement forward option in light of Chermiti’s injury. What’s clear already, though, is that despite a difficult start to the season, the pace of activity at Ibrox shows no signs of slowing as the transfer deadline approaches.
