Rangers setback as Moroccan talent opens up about his ‘big club’ transfer choice.

Oussama Targhalline, a 22-year-old Moroccan international midfielder, began his football journey at Marseille’s youth academy before heading to Le Havre in France, where he was nearing the end of his contract.

During the summer, Rangers were linked with a move for Targhalline, with L’Equipe in France, a reputable news source, reporting on the potential transfer.

The move seemed promising for all parties involved, but the Moroccan midfielder ultimately chose to sign with Feyenoord in the Netherlands.

Upon joining Feyenoord, Targhalline shared his reasons for picking the Dutch club over others, including Rangers.

He expressed his excitement about the opportunity and revealed that the decision was heavily influenced by Feyenoord’s stature as a club, as well as the atmosphere at De Kuip, the team’s iconic stadium.

Targhalline also highlighted the charm of Rotterdam, calling it a beautiful city and noting the friendliness of the people there.

These factors played a significant role in his decision-making process.

“I’m happy to be here,” Targhalline stated, as quoted by Voetbal International. “Feyenoord is a big club, and you can’t refuse big clubs if they are interested in you.

Rotterdam is a beautiful city, and the people are very nice. It feels good here.”

He added that his primary focus now is to contribute to the team by using his strengths: distributing passes, retrieving balls, and being an all-around service to the squad.

The midfielder also expressed his admiration for the Feyenoord fans, recognizing them as some of the best in Europe, and mentioned that their passionate support further motivated him to join the club.

Though Rangers seemed like a good fit for the Moroccan, it wasn’t just them who showed interest in his services.

According to Targhalline, Feyenoord had been tracking him since last summer, following his impressive performance at the Paris Olympics, where he helped secure a victory for Morocco.

This early interest from Feyenoord gave him a sense of confidence, and he was focused on the Dutch club ever since.

“Last summer, Feyenoord already showed interest, after the Olympic Games in Paris,” Targhalline explained, according to Voetbal International.

“That shows a lot of confidence for me. In the past few days, everything has accelerated, and it has actually happened.

And now that I’m here, I’m going to do everything I can to help the team as soon as possible.”

Targhalline’s decision to join Feyenoord instead of Rangers comes as a disappointment to the Ibrox side, as the Moroccan midfielder had all the qualities they were looking for, especially considering their growing Moroccan influence through players like Hamza Igamane and the addition of assistant manager Issame Charai.

Charai had even worked with Targhalline when Morocco’s U23s won the Africa Cup of Nations, with the midfielder scoring the winning goal in the final.

Nonetheless, Feyenoord has secured a promising young talent, further strengthening their pipeline of rising stars.