There always seemed to be a decent chance that one of the Old Firm club’s current top scorers would leave this month. But the smart money was on Rangers’ Cyriel Dessers, not Celtic’s Kyogo Furuhashi.
As it is, while speculation regarding a potential Ibrox exit has quieted down a little – Rangers opened talks regarding Cyriel Dessers’ future a fortnight ago but that is as far as things have gone at this stage – it is another of those Glasgow-based goalscorers preparing to say his goodbyes.
Kyogo is set to secure a £10 million switch to French outfit Rennes before next week’s deadline.
And while this alone may not be enough to offer Rangers a route back into the Premiership title race – 13 points is the gap as things stand – the Ibrox faithful will certainly not miss a man who’s record against Philippe Clement’s side stands at 10 goals in 17 games.
With Adam Idah inconsistent – Ross McCormack rates Dessers higher than Celtic’s £9 million man – Kyogo’s sudden departure is still a very unwelcome development for Brendan Rodgers and co, even if the Premiership title remains in the bag.
And while the prospect of Rangers losing Dessers is not quite the same – Kyogo is Celtic’s talisman, whereas Cyriel Dessers has slipped down the pecking order – Ibrox icon Kris Boyd believes his old employers should still be wary of leaving themselves short in the attacking department with much still to play for.
Kris Boyd warns Rangers not to repeat Celtic ‘gamble’ and sell Cyriel Dessers
“Celtic have made a bold call flogging Kyogo Furuhashi midway through the season,” Boyd tells the Scottish Sun. “Rangers should think carefully before they do the same with Cyriel Dessers.”
Dessers scored a ‘sensational’ effort against Manchester United in the Europa League on Thursday night – as good an effort as Old Trafford has witnessed in continental competition for many a year – while taking his tally to 17 for the campaign.
And Boyd is among those who feels that the criticism aimed towards the £4.5 million Nigeria international has bordered on the ridiculous at times. Dessers may be capable of the woeful but, as Man United found out, he can also produce the ‘unbelievable’ too.
“Celtic have taken a gamble by selling Kyogo,” Boyd adds, . “Rangers need to be careful. With Danilo injured again, Clement only has Hamza Igamane and Dessers as first-team strikers.
“The Moroccan has massive potential but he is young and still has so much to learn. Dessers has been coming off the bench recently but he still continues to find the net. He’s well on his way to surpassing last season’s tally of 22.
“There’s no doubt this leaves Rangers with a conundrum as getting a few quid in for him would probably appeal.
“But the notion of selling Dessers without bringing in a replacement would be madness.”
Boyd thinks Rangers would struggle to replace Dessers
Kris Boyd feels that Dessers’ professionalism is a key factor. The former Heracles, Feyenoord and Cremonese man is not the sort of player to ‘throw his toys out of the pram’, even if Dessers is hoping for some clarity regarding his role in Clement’s plans going forward.
And, if Rangers were to cash in, finding a centre-forward capable of racking up nearly 20 goals while struggling for regular minutes, while producing genuine elite-level quality as seen at Old Trafford, may be nigh on impossible on their limited budget.
“Clement was clear last week when he said that Dessers should only be sold if someone of ‘the same quality’ comes in. But I would be stunned if Rangers found a player who can match Dessers’ goal return for the second half of the season,” adds Boyd, a five-time Scottish Premiership Golden Boot winner in his own playing career.
“That ain’t happening unless they pay a lot of money, something [CEO] Patrick Stewart has already said won’t happen.”
