Cyriel Dessers appeared to be Michael Beale’s number one target this summer and it’s easy to see why, Rangers tried to sign him in the past.
The 28-year old Nigeria international has enjoyed a successful career and is fresh off a season competing against some of Europe’s finest defenders in Serie A.
Speaking in Germany during the pre-season camp, Cyriel Dessers has explained how long Rangers have been interested in securing his services, as reported by The Rangers Review.
When asked if he was aware of interest from Celtic, the signing said to have cost £5.6m revealed that he hadn’t heard that, however, Cyriel Dessers did speak to Rangers years before finally arriving:
“I spoke a couple of times with Rangers in the past years and the contact has also been close.
“So I’m happy to finally be here now and it was possible to make the deal and arrive here.
“If you score goals then you will probably be on some clubs’ radars.
“I don’t know how much I can say as it’s pretty private.
“The first contact was after I became the top scorer in the Eredivisie during Covid so it was a difficult time for a lot of clubs to make deals.
“After that, the contact was always there and although it wasn’t always in terms of an offer, there were some casual conversations.”
Why Cyriel Dessers has been on Rangers radar for so long
In terms of like-for-like replacements, Cyriel Dessers is as close to Alfredo Morelos that Rangers can get and it looks as though he was lined up after 55 was won.
The former Feyenoord striker is taller, leaner and a more technically gifted player but he can fill the role of an all-round striker in a similar way.
Dessers can cope with being isolated or be the focal point in the penalty box, a versatility that is essential at Rangers.
What a difference he would have made after winning the league and Dessers could have been the difference in 2021/22.
It is encouraging that Michael Beale has been so influential in bringing players to the club but also that he has targeted players who he has admired for some time.
It’s just a shame that we didn’t get Cyriel Dessers first time around, Rangers might have had more success recently.
