How many of the signings made by Rangers during Mick Beale’s one and only summer in the Ibrox dugout could really be considered a success?
Dujon Sterling, Abdallah Sima and Player of the Year Jack Butland certainly. But, as for the others, value for money is relatively few and far between.
Danilo might still prove to be a fine bit of business but the jury remains out after an injury-hit campaign. Sam Lammers scored only twice in 31 games after joining for £3 million.
Cyriel Dessers, meanwhile, arguably epitomises Rangers‘ 2023/24 campaign for better and for worse. A player who’s tally of 22 goals is both impressive, on one hand, and somewhat underwhelming on the other. Dessers, given the sheer volume of chances he wasted throughout the season, should probably have passed the 30-goal mark pretty comfortably.
And while the former Cremonese man at least ensured that he would not join Filip Sebo and co in the pantheon of Rangers striking flops, the reaction should he depart during the summer window will be a pretty mixed one.
A good striker for a team who, if they are to achieve their ambitions, probably need a great one.
Cyriel Dessers linked with Rangers summer exit
“The be-all and end-all for a striker is scoring goals. That’s particularly the case at Rangers and Celtic,” legendary Gers hitman Kris Boyd told Sky Sports.
“Dessers (is) doing that. But then every time you leave a match, every time you pick up a paper or tune into a radio station, all the talk is about the chances that he’s missed. I get you can’t score every opportunity. But these are glaring misses that we’re talking about.
“When you’re in a team that creates the number of chances Rangers and Celtic do, you expect more.”
Whether Dessers does end up departing, however, is another matter.
Reports have linked the well-travelled Nigeria international with a move to Greek outfit PAOK this week, with some even suggesting that he has handed in a transfer request.
The claims coming out of Greece, however, are playing things down somewhat. Filathlos are reporting that Dessers is actually PAOK’s ‘Plan B’ option.
Their first choice remains former Barcelona frontman Martin Braithwaite. An answer is expected to arrive from the veteran Dane’s camp in the coming days.
Should Braithwaite say no, PAOK may turn to Dessers. Even still, the one-time Eredivisie Golden Boot winner may prove too expensive, given that he is under contract until 2025 and set Rangers back £4.5 million last summer.
Braithwaite, in contrast, only has one year left on his deal and will not cost anywhere near as much at the age of 33.
Hamza Igamane expected to arrive at Ibrox
Dessers’ future, meanwhile, is likely to play a key role in the potential arrivals of Hamza Igamane and/or Albion Rrahmani. Rangers are closing in on the former. Igamane, a Morocco Under 21 international, is expected to sign a five-year deal and join for around £2 million from RAF Rabat, per the Daily Record.
The discussions about Rrahmani, however, has gone a little quiet in recent weeks.
Rapid Bucharest president Viorel Moldovan confirmed this week that an offer has been received and rejected. It is believed, however, that £3.5 million bid arrived not from Rangers but from Slavia Prague, per Golazo.
“Rrahmani is a Rapid player. He is a high-quality footballer,” Moldovan tells Orange Sport. “We continue to rely on him. Yes, there is an offer for Rrahmani at the moment, but it is insufficient compared to his level and value,” Moldovan explains.
“I really want him to stay and help us achieve our goals.”
