Kevin van Veen’s assertion that Rangers still hold an interest in signing him has elicited a response, though the outcome may not align with the expectations of the confident Dutch player. Van Veen, formerly of Motherwell, has experienced a mix of highs and lows since transitioning from the Scottish Premiership to the Dutch second tier. His recent statement claiming to have ‘rejected’ Rangers in the summer, coupled with the suggestion that the club still desires his signature, has generated attention. However, with Philippe Clement having already bolstered his squad with the addition of Fabio Silva, the question remains whether there is a genuine need for another traditional number nine. The 32-year-old Van Veen, who has notched five goals in 15 appearances for Groningen, may have inadvertently conveyed his sentiments as a plea for clubs to express interest in acquiring his services.
Veteran Dutch journalist Piet van Dijken though says he’s spoken with former Rangers star Arthur Numan as well as Dutch pundit and insider Wouter Gudde over the matter. And the verdict is unanimous: as things stand, there is no firm interest from Ibrox in signing Van Veen. The striker said he’s still a hero in Scotland and can’t even go to the shops without being stopped by fans but a skeptical Van Dijken wrote for Sikkom: “I recently read that Van Veen is still unable to do his shopping in Scotland. Apparently he’s still a hero there.
“According to reports, there is even interest in him from the great Glasgow Rangers. This week I spoke to Hugo Hovenkamp, who in turn has a lot of contact with Arthur Numan, former Glasgow Rangers player, who still joins the club, due to scouting for AZ. Hovenkamp therefore asked Numan what he knew about any interest from Rangers in Kevin van Veen. Numan’s answer was clear. According to him, Glasgow Rangers are not interested in Van Veen. Wouter Gudde also recently said that there had been no contact with the Scots.”
Speaking to Dutch media, Van Veen strongly hinted a move back to the SPFL could be on the cards but knows it will be tricky as he’s under contract until 2026. He said: “Even though I rejected (Rangers) 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.”
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