If football is a funny old game, then it looks like Cyriel Dessers could have the last laugh at Rangers.
Ridiculed to the point of being booed by a frustrated Ibrox at the beginning of last season, the Nigerian international has had to overcome his fair share of turmoil to make the grade in Govan.
After Dessers joined the club for a fee in the region of £4.5m (€5m) from Cremonese in the summer, there were big expectations on the hitman’s shoulders.
Expectation which plenty before him have wilted under.
Dessers has since been open about the ‘abuse’ suffered at the hands of Rangers fans as injuries mounted and the number 9’s reputation meandered.
But bouncing back to net 22 goals by the end of the campaign, the latest transfer reports surrounding Cyriel Dessers suggest no-one will be laughing should the striker leave this summer.
Dessers linked with Rangers exit
If you could rewind to October last year and tell Rangers fans there was interest in Cyriel Dessers to the tune of £4.5m, they’d just about bite your hand off.
The 29-year-old striker isn’t getting any younger and after fluffing his lines in the big moments, there were serious doubts amongst Gers fans that the hitman has what it takes.
But fast forward to the summer of 2024 and suddenly Rangers fans are starting to change their tune.
Once a laughing stock amongst Scottish football fans – including his own – the Rangers support has begun to believe that Dessers might just have enough to be next season’s difference maker.
Only, it might be too little, too late.
There’s been high profile interest in Dessers from Greek side PAOK, whilst there have since been links to a number of ‘options’ for the Rangers number nine in France, Spain, Italy and even Saudi Arabia.
But with Rangers initially hoping to recoup what they spent on the hitman, you’ll forgive Gers fans for getting nervous over some fresh ‘loan-to-buy’ reports coming out of Italy.
Serie A transfer confusion cleared up
On first glance, Rangers fans are probably justified to be worried about the latest Cyriel Dessers claims in Football Italia.
But not because the ex-Feyenoord hitman is reportedly a transfer target for Serie A side Cagliari.
Whilst the report echoes sentiments that Rangers are looking to recoup around £4.5m for Dessers this summer, it’s the suggestion of a loan-to-buy deal which will have Gers fans nervous.
The report claims that Cagliari couldn’t finance such a fee up front with a potential loan with obligation to buy should the club stay in Serie A mooted in Italy.
This deal – categorically – would not suit Rangers with the Gers having to go and replace the striker in the transfer market.
But before fans get too carried away with the suggestion, it’s interesting to note the origins of the Football Italia report.
Claiming the links originate in Italian publication Tuttomercatoweb, there is absolutely no mention of this kind of loan-to-buy deal in the original report.
It’s led to some confusion surrounding Cagliari interest in Cyriel Dessers but from what we can ascertain, Football Italia appear to be speculating.
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