Rangers’ 2-1 victory over Motherwell on Saturday felt like a neat summation as to the strengths and the weaknesses of arguably the most divisive member of Philippe Clement’s squad.
To many, Ibrox legend Barry Ferguson among them, Cyriel Dessers’ obvious determination and his infectious work-rate – coupled with an impressive 22 goals in his debut season in Scottish football – has made the striker a rather popular figure.
To others, he is a posterboy of why this Rangers side will not achieve their biggest aims. A ‘good’ centre-forward for a ‘good’ team, rather than a ‘great’ centre-forward for a ‘great’ one.
Dessers, even his biggest fans would have to accept, tends to miss his fair share of chances.
Yes, he opened the scoring against Motherwell with a poacher’s finish at the back post but his detractors will have noted the shot he ballooned high into the Hampden Park stands in the second-half when the game was hanging in the balance.
With his 30th birthday now only four months away, the nagging feeling in the back of many a mind suspects that, if Dessers was going to rid the wastefulness from his game, he would have done so already.
Rangers eye WSG Tirol striker Mahamadou Diarra
WSG Tirol frontman Mahamadou Diarra, in contrast, may be afforded a bit more patience from an expectant Rangers fanbase should he arrive to ease the burden on Dessers’ shoulders before the September deadline.
At just 20, Diarra is nearly a decade Dessers’ junior. He would arrive not as the finished article, but as a work in progress. The odd slice or stumble in front of goal may be forgiven when it comes to one so young.
According to Africa Foot, exploratory talks have taken place between Rangers and Diarra’s camp. The Glasgow giants are reportedly willing to pay around £1.7 million, though negotiations are yet to open up with Tirol themselves.
Now, Diarra’s goalscoring record hardly stands out. The Mali Under-23 international netted four times in 23 games during 2023/24. Thus, underperforming his ‘Expected Goals’ tally, per Laola1.
He has failed to find the target in any of his three matches this term either.
But, unlike when they paid £4.5 million to take Dessers away from Cremonese, Rangers would not be buying Diarra for the player he is today but for the player he could become with the right nurturing and coaching.
‘Super-fast’ and strong in the air
His potential is certainly not in question.
Stefan Kock, a Tirol director, describes Diarra as a ‘very dynamic’ striker to the WSG website.
“He has impressively demonstrated his qualities,” adds head coach Thomas Silberberger. “And we are convinced that he is a rough diamond. In the long term, he will certainly become a very good striker.”
A thrilling brace during April’s 2-1 win over Blau Weiss Linz went some way to showing what all the fuss was about. A towering, formidable header from a set-piece, and then a clever backheel as the ball rolled loose inside the penalty area.
None of Rangers’ current strikers – Dessers, Danilo or the youngster Hamza Igamane – are really renowned for their pace or their aerial ability.
Two attributes the ‘super-fast’ Diarra – to quote Laola1 – has in spades. The youngster could give Clement something different, then, even if just from the bench.
“He has extreme stamina (in the) air. He did an outstanding job on the set piece,” Silberberger told Laola1 after that Blau Weiss Linz victory. “And he put his foot out brilliantly for the 2-0 (goal).
“The boy can be worth his weight in gold for us.”
Rangers, as emphasised by the signings of Igamane, Clinton Nsiala, Oscar Cortes and more, are betting big on youth and untapped potential in the current market.
Diarra would certainly represent a continuation of that trend.
