Bouanani looks to Scotland for fresh start after Stuttgart Champions League omission

Badredine Bouanani is on the verge of leaving VfB Stuttgart for Rangers on a season-long loan after being left out of the German club’s Champions League squad.

The 21-year-old Algeria international is expected to complete the move with Rangers, with an €18m option to buy included in the agreement, according to L’Equipe.

Bouanani is already in Scotland and is due to undergo a medical on Thursday before the transfer can be completed.

His absence from Stuttgart’s European squad had initially raised questions. The winger was not included in the club’s 24-player A list submitted to UEFA, despite regulations allowing Stuttgart to register one additional player.

That decision now appears to have been linked to his likely departure rather than a purely sporting choice. Although the transfer window has closed in Germany and several other major European leagues, clubs in Scotland can still make signings. That has allowed Stuttgart to continue discussions over Bouanani’s move.

The switch offers the former Nice player an opportunity to revive his career after an inconsistent first season in Germany. Bouanani joined Stuttgart from Nice in the summer of 2025 and made 28 appearances, scoring two goals and providing two assists.

However, he was unable to establish himself as a regular member of the VfB starting line-up, even though his performances improved towards the end of the campaign. Strasbourg, Werder Bremen and Schalke 04 had also been linked with the player during the summer.

A move to Glasgow could give Bouanani a greater role and more regular playing time. He would join fellow new arrivals Djeidi Gassama of Mauritania and South Africa international Olwethu Makhanya at Rangers.

There is, though, a significant compromise. Bouanani will not play in European competition this season because Rangers were eliminated in the UEFA Conference League play-offs.

Rangers, known as the Teddy Bears, have also endured an uneven opening to their domestic campaign. They have recorded two wins, one draw and one defeat in their first four league matches.

The club are therefore not enjoying the strongest period in their history, but the move could still provide Bouanani with the conditions he needs to progress. At 21, his immediate priorities appear to be securing regular football, rebuilding his confidence and taking on a more important role.

For Bouanani, that opportunity may prove more valuable than remaining at Stuttgart for the possibility of spending Champions League evenings on the substitutes’ bench.