Rangers striker Cyriel Dessers has been a hot topic of conversation since the heartbreaking Premier Sports Cup final defeat to Celtic.
Having seemingly slipped down the pecking order behind Hamza Igamane and Danilo, the club’s top scorer was an extra-time substitute for the Moroccan at Hampden.
After no-one could find a winner to stop it going to penalties, the Nigerian was conspicuous by his absence from the list of five Gers takers as they eventually lost.
Immediately after the game, Dessers’ failure to take one of Rangers’ penalties was scrutinised by Premier Sports’ pundits who questioned why a goalkeeper and defender were allowed to go before him.
Gers fans weren’t happy with Dessers either and branded it an ‘unforgivable’ situation.
Manager Philippe Clement explained why Dessers didn’t step up but that hasn’t stopped others continuing to have a go.
Tam McManus accused the Rangers striker of having ‘no bottle’ and now another pundit has predicted a January exit for him.
Michael Stewart predicts Rangers will sell Dessers
It has now emerged that Dessers is attracting serious interest from Ligue 1 in France.
Saint-Etienne are struggling towards the bottom of the top flight and are reported by Le Republic Sportif to be taking a serious look at the 30-year-old amid his Rangers struggles.
Even before that news broke, Michael Stewart predicted that the number nine would be sold in January.
Igamane and Danilo are clearly now preferred and the pundit reckons the whole situation with the penalties sums Dessers time at Ibrox up.
Speaking on Premier Sports’ Scottish Football Social Club, he said: “It’s a valid talking point because he’s Rangers’ number nine. You’d expect that he’s going to be standing up and taking a penalty.
“But I think it just goes to highlight the whole Dessers story at Rangers, in that guaranteed if he steps up to take it the Rangers supporters have got their heart in their mouth. They’re thinking ‘oh no’ – they would be.
“Of course you do (expect Dessers to take).
“But to a certain extent, the players have got to feel it themselves and if Dessers is not feeling it, you cannot force him into taking a penalty.
“Again, the whole thing highlights what is clearly a deficiency. He has clearly dropped down the pecking order now anyway, but you cannot have your main number nine not able to step up and take one of the first five penalties in a massive game like that.
“[Hamza] Igamane has now made himself what you’d regard as the main striker at Rangers, Danilo is coming back and he’s fit, scores a great goal by equalising in that last minute of the game.
“You’d imagine that they’ll be looking at trying to offload Dessers, I’d think. I think it’s plain and simple and they’d be looking to get somebody else in the door.”
Rangers to target centre-back
Stewart mentions there that he would expect Rangers to sign another centre forward to replace Dessers.
But Gers’ transfer priority will be at the other end of the pitch. Amid injuries to John Souttar and Neraysho Kasanwirjo, Clement has shifted his attention to centre-back.
That certainly doesn’t mean the pundit’s prediction is wrong and in fact two strikers have already been linked with Ibrox moves.
And you would certainly expect a replacement to be sought if Dessers is indeed sold, with Igamane and Danilo unlikely to carry the burden between them.
