Groningen coach Dirk Lukkien insists that ‘nothing is happening’ regarding Kevin van Veen with a purported return to the Scottish Premiership seemingly now unlikely for the Rangers target.
When Kevin van Veen went public with Rangers’ interest – admitting that the Glasgow giants had tried to sign him before he left Motherwell for Groningen last summer – it didn’t take long for the clamouring to start.
With Danilo struggling with injuries, with Cyriel Dessers yet to convince, surely there was room at Ibrox for a man who scored 29 goals for ‘Well in 2022/23, right? Former Scotland international James McFadden certainly thought so, anway.
Providing an update on his situation a few weeks ago, Van Veen insisted that there was ‘still interest’ in him from the blue side of Glasgow (Daily Record). But, with the window closing in just over 24 hours’ time, any hopes the veteran forward might have had of returning to familiar surroundings look set to go up in smoke.
Kevin van Veen to miss out on Rangers move
“As a club, we have said that we would like to think about a solution,” Lukkien tells ESPN. “But nothing is happening yet.”
Van Veen has not featured for the Eerste Divisie side since November, training with Groningen’s reserves after returning from spell back in Scotland during the birth of his child.
Following the appointments of Philippe Clement and Nils Koppen, however, Rangers appear to be prioritising younger, up-and-coming players. Players with re-sale value by the bucketload. Fabio Silva and Mohamed Diomande are likely to be joined at Ibrox by the similarly prodigious Oscar Cortes of Lens and Fluminense left-back Jefte.
Turning 33 this year, Van Veen is far removed from the sort of long-term, buy-low-sell-high acquisition Rangers are setting their sights on.
A sudden burst of goalscoring form from the previously-maligned Dessers, meanwhile, has reduced the need for another centre-forward in Clement’s ranks.
Clement closing in on Cortes and Jefte
“We will just try to get him physically ready,” Lukkien adds, setting out his plan to get Van Veen fit and firing once more. “He is now building up (his fitness) again.
“Kevin has not been able to train in a group for a while. He is now working on getting fit again and that is going quite well.”
