Rangers transfer news: Derek Weir issues admission on Kevin van Veen
Interim Motherwell CEO Derek Weir has revealed Rangers target Kevin van Veen wanted to stay in Scotland ahead of his move to Groningen.
The Daily Record reported on 8 January that the 32-year-old was linked with a return to Scotland and play for Rangers.
However, nothing appears to have materialised thus far and he’s still in the Netherlands.
He said: “That was a difficult situation. The CEO of Groningen arrived in my office in April and made it very clear they saw Kevin as key in their attempts to get back into the top tier of Dutch football.
“They were going to make him an offer of a great contract. We went through a fairly lengthy process of us declining offers and finally we accepted one. The difficulty in that one was Kevin’s personal circumstances, which have been well-trailed, were that he was quite keen to remain in Scotland
“We did make him an offer but the reality of the situation was we couldn’t get anywhere close. If he isn’t on at least double what our highest-paid player is on, I would be very surprised.”
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The apparent interest in van Veen seems to be predominantly driven by the player and his representatives rather than a concrete desire from Rangers.
This could be a strategic move on the Dutchman’s part to generate attention and potentially secure a move back to Scotland, especially considering his positive reception during his time with Motherwell.
However, Gers may prioritise pursuing other options, given the existing depth and quality in their attacking lineup post Fabio Silva’s arrival, other positions altogether.
The club’s management may believe that they can secure more impactful strikers or address pressing needs with the available resources.
Hopefully, this now puts an end to all the speculation linking him with a move to Ibrox and he surely needs to look at other options.
Whether or not Philippe Clement demands another striker, remains to be seen, as the league is still there to be won by Rangers.
In other Rangers news, a senior player will pass his medical in the January transfer window despite a groin worry as Gers are battling Celtic to sign him.