How Rangers can instantly seal a better signing than Couhaib Driouech

It feels like one setback after another right now for Glasgow Rangers, with so much riding on Thursday’s vital Europa League clash with Jagellonia.

Back-to-back defeats, following an opening-day draw at Tannadice, has ensured that Derek McInnes is already facing an uphill task at Ibrox, a challenge not helped by the cruel ACL blow suffered by Galatasaray target, Youssef Chermiti.

A lightweight forward line has now been depleted even further, although it’s not all bad news for the Gers, with Daisuke Yokota at least looking lively last weekend.

The 26-year-old may well be the solution on that troublesome right flank, while the hope will be that £7m man, Couhaib Driouech, can be the answer on the opposite side.

How Driouech compared to Yokota last season

With Mikey Moore no longer at Ibrox, Djeidi Gassama has done little to suggest he is the long-term answer off the left, while on the opposite side, McInnes’ Ryan Naderi experiment against Dundee United proved short-lived.

REUTERS/Russell Cheyne

Bringing in both Yokota and Driouech is vital to raising the levels, therefore, with the pair no doubt set to freshen up the Glasgow side’s limp forward line.

In Yokota’s case, the Japanese speedster has already shown his quality in flashes in recent outings, notably creating one ‘big chance’, completing 100% of his dribbles and boasting a 96% pass rate against Hibernian.

He had been operating in Germany’s second tier last season, scoring and assisting nine goals in 19 starts, while creating 12 ‘big chances’ and averaging 1.8 successful dribbles per game.

That record compares well to what Driouech chalked up for PSV Eindhoven in 2025/26, even with the Moroccan starting just five Eredivisie games, as he scored and assisted ten times for the Dutch champions.

In terms of ‘big chances’ created, the 24-year-old boasted a tally of seven, although he did only average 0.3 successful dribbles per game, amid his reduced game time, a real drop on his 2.3 average from his time at Excelsior in 2023/24.

Like Yokota, Driouech is a tricky, creative winger who appears in need of a fresh start following his limited role back in Holland, with Rangers no doubt praying he can breathe new life into McInnes’ stuttering side.

REUTERS/Jason Cairnduff

There are also other priorities still left to sort, however, with ten signings not enough to take McInnes where he wants to go this season.

How Rangers could make the perfect 11th signing of the summer

Driouech is set to be the tenth man in the door, but the Gers aren’t stopping there, by all accounts, as this mass squad overhaul continues following another trophyless 2025/26 campaign.

One issue to solve remains at right-back, with the Old Firm side still seeking to replace the long-serving James Tavernier, even after signing Ross McCrorie earlier in the window.

McCrorie, upon his return to Glasgow, has looked like nothing more than a steady, unspectacular fit at right-back, with fellow full-back Dujon Sterling also now seemingly a back-up option at centre-back instead.

Signing a new right-back appears a matter of urgency, therefore, perhaps even more so than signing the likes of Driouech, hence why Aston Villa defender Kosta Nedeljkovic is now on the agenda.

As reported by Rangers Review, the Gers have held initial talks regarding a potential move for the 20-year-old, with the opportunity there to bring the Serbian in on a season-long loan.

Supporters may wish for a long-term fit, not least after seeing the temporary arrival of Max Aarons backfire last season, but Nedeljkovic would be a real coup regardless, the type of talent who can fill Tavernier’s void more comfortably.

Now, it hasn’t worked out too well for the youngster at Villa to date, having only made five Premier League appearances since joining in 2024, although he has spent the last 18 months at Bundesliga side RB Leipzig.

A “mature, aggressive defender”, in the view of Como scout Ben Mattinson, the Serbian has “so much tenacity and defensive ability”, someone who can bomb up and down the flanks with ease.

He hasn’t been afforded enough game time of late, making only 15 Bundesliga appearances at Leipzig, but his potential is sky-high, with an extended run of games under McInnes potentially set to see him flourish.

REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan

Likened to Brazil veteran, Danilo, by talent scout Jacek Kulig, he has been noted as the “complete full-back”, lauded for his speed, acceleration and physical prowess, among other key traits.

Back in 2023/24, while at Crvena Zvezda, he notably made one assist in his ten Superliga starts, while also averaging an impressive one key pass per game.

For comparison, McCrorie averages 0.5 in that regard from his first two Premiership outings of the season.

Defensively, too, Nedeljkovic also averaged 2.2 tackles and interceptions per game, while impressively dribbled past just 0.1 times per game.

Reuters/Paul Childs

He could well be the all-rounder in that role that Rangers are crying out for, with recent defeats highlighting the real shortcomings that McInnes faces defensively, having even resorted to using Vanja Dragojevic at right-back against Hibs.

That alone points to just how essential it is to get a new full-back in the door, and while Driouech might be the headline, glamour capture, Nedeljkovic could prove an even more important pick-up.