Four goals in two games: Should Rangers keep or sell Dessers?

Super Eagles and Rangers striker, Cyriel Kolawole Dessers, has been put up for sale by the Scottish Record Champions, Soccernet.ng reports.

The 30-year-old joined the Gers from Cremonese in the summer of 2023 for a fee of €5m. He didn’t have the best start to life in the Scottish Capital under Michael Beale, but the presence of Philippe Clement catapulted the Nigerian’s numbers.

Since signing for Rangers, Dessers has scored 39 goals and provided 14 assists in 88 games across all competitions. While the numbers look decent for a striker of his calibre, the former Feyenoord forward has suffered from high expectations.

Dessers has never been a striker to score 30+ goals per season. In a career that has spanned twelve years, the former Genk man’s best season came during his days at NAC Brenda where he scored 29 goals and provided 11 assists in 40 games.

While those performances earned him bigger moves, he has yet to replicate such form. His second-best season was the 2023/2024 campaign when he joined Rangers, scoring 22 and assisting seven in 54 games.

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Fall out with Rangers

Despite his decent numbers, the Belgium-born Super Eagle was unable to win over the hearts of the Rangers faithful. Why?

This is because of his profligacy in front of goal. He makes the runs quite right, and gets into decent position. Dessers is also very good at timing his runs to remain onside, but his finishing isn’t good enough, and he has now been put up for sale by the club.

Without a doubt, if Rangers want to compete in Europe again, they’ll need to move on from Dessers, but one could conclude the Nigerian has overachieved as he was brought in for a fee of €5m. The prolific strikers cost way more, and the Gers are unwilling to spend high to command a lethal finisher in front of goal.

To Keep or to sell?

After falling down the pecking order in the past two months, Dessers has turned things up. In his last two games, the ex-Feyenoord attacker has found the back of the net four times, even drawing praise from his manager, Philippe Clement.

He can be frustrating to watch, but Dessers has shown his ability to turn up in big games. The UEFA Europa League clash against Real Betis last season, the hat-trick to propel the Gers to the Scottish FA Cup next round, and a big goal against the odds at Old Trafford shows the Nigerian has the affinity to turn up when the lights shine bright.

Interest from Serie A, Ligue 1, and Spain have come in for the 30-year-old, but none are as competitive, nor do they offer European football like Rangers, yet, if he chooses to stay in the Scotland capital, he risks spending more time on the bench.

Ultimately, the decision rests between the player and the board. However, should he leave, Rangers will be without experience in attack, and will have no one to turn to during the big games.

At his age, not much can be improved on in terms of finishing, but a solution could be reached if Philippe Clement decides to play the Nigerian off the back of a clinical striker. His runs behind the defence are key for a striker and could open the team up more.

Many might admit both parties need to part ways, but I think they need each other, up until the summer at least.