Kevin van Veen shares update on Rangers transfer ‘interest’ as January switch mooted
Kevin van Veen has claimed that Rangers still have an “interest” in signing him from Groningen during the January transfer window.
Reports emerged that the Light Blues had lined up a move to sign the 32-year-old ahead of the January transfer window [Scottish Daily Mail, 27 December], but Scottish Daily Express reporter Scott Burns labelled those rumours “wide of the mark”.
However, Van Veen has insisted that Philippe Clement’s side and a number of teams in Scotland remain interested in securing his services on loan, but Groningen prefer to sell him permanently in January.
As quoted by the Glasgow Times (4 January) he said: “Even though I rejected them in the summer, there is still interest. But there are more clubs that find a striker who scored 29 goals last season interesting. I can contact clubs in the entire Scottish League directly, but they all want to loan me while FC Groningen prefers to sell.
“It is difficult for many Scottish clubs to come close to what FC Groningen paid for me in terms of a transfer fee and that is a problem. I thought very carefully about my move and the consequences last summer.
“I don’t want to be a failure. In Scotland I’m still a hero, I can’t even go shopping normally. I also want to show Groningen who I am. If that is ultimately not possible, life goes on.
“If an opportunity comes along that is good for the club and for myself, we have to act. But we are still a long way from that.”
Remain interested
Rangers still need attacking reinforcements this January as the current options at Clement’s disposal are nowhere near good enough to challenge for the Scottish Premiership title.
The likes of Cyriel Dessers, Danilo and Kemar Roofe have all struggled to produce the goals the Light Blues have required this season and while Fabio Silva is one replacement, it has to be the first of several new additions.
Van Veen would offer a solution for the Gers and his record in Scotland is superb. In his final season at Motherwell, the Dutchman scored 29 goals in 44 appearances in all competitions, so he would almost guarantee goals at Ibrox.
But Rangers have repeatedly insisted they won’t throw money around unnecessarily this January and if Groningen are insisting on a permanent transfer, that could rule the Light Blues out of the race for his signature.
In other Rangers news, Mark Wilson has offered his verdict on Lawrence Shankland’s potential move to Ibrox this January