Rangers could ditch Dessers in swoop for £3m star who ‘wants the move’

After a summer that was framed as a rebuild of the squad by those in power at Glasgow Rangers, the first game of the new season could easily have been slotted in as one of the matches from the 2023/24 campaign.

The starting XI in the 0-0 draw with Hearts on Saturday featured just one player – Connor Barron – who was not at Ibrox during the second half of last term.

Philippe Clement’s side scored eight goals fewer than the eventual champions in the Scottish Premiership last season and their lack of threat at the top end of the pitch cost them once again.

The Ibrox giants only created 0.9 xG worth of chances throughout the match and squandered the few opportunities that they were able to create.

As you can see in the table above, Cyriel Dessers was a particularly poor performer against the Jam Tarts, with two ‘big chances’ missed and zero chances created for his teammates.

Clement could finally ditch the Nigerian dud by swooping to sign one of the players from the opposition’s team before the end of the summer transfer window.

Premiership star wants Rangers move

Pundit Chris Sutton, who was on Sky Sports’ coverage of the game on Saturday, claimed that he has heard that Lawrence Shankland “wants the move” to Ibrox, as relayed by RangersNews.

The former Celtic striker described the Scotland international as a “ruthless” finisher who could come in as an upgrade on the club’s current forward line options, including Danilo and Dessers.

Shankland did not find the back of the net against the Gers, with zero ‘big chances’ created for him, but did win 12 of his 17 duels to showcase his physical attributes.

Last month, the Daily Record reported that Clement is weighing up a swoop to sign the Hearts captain this summer to bolster his playing squad.

The outlet claimed that the Belgian boss was concerned about his ability to play in a high-pressing side but his goalscoring prowess could tempt him into a move.

It was stated that Sam Lammers’ move to FC Twente has provided the club with enough funds to make an offer for Shankland, who they hope would be available for a fee of £3m.

Signing the Scottish centre-forward would finally allow the manager to ditch Dessers from his starting role, which has not been justified by his performances on the pitch.

Cyriel Dessers’ struggles in front of goal

The former Cremonese attacker missed two ‘big chances’ in the 0-0 draw with Hearts on Saturday and his performance was not a surprise to anyone who watched the striker in action during the 2023/24 campaign.

Dessers did score 16 goals in 35 matches in the Premiership last term, which is a respectable return on paper, but his finishing left a lot to be desired.

As you can see in the table above, the 29-year-old flop spurned a staggering 27 ‘big chances’ in the Scottish top-flight, which was 18 more than any other player in the squad missed.

This shows that Dessers is a wasteful finisher who does not make the most of the opportunities that his teammates are able to create for him on a consistent basis, which was on display again against Hearts on Saturday.

Rangers are vying to win a league title and secure trophies in the cup competitions, which is why they need a reliable marksman who can step up in the big moments and be consistent in front of goal.

Dessers’ form last season and his performance against the Jam Tarts on the opening day suggests that he is not the reliable number nine who is likely to win the Gers the league with his finishing quality.

This is why Clement must dip into the market to land Shankland, who seemingly wants the move, before the summer transfer window slams shut at the end of the month, as he could come in as a far better option than Dessers.

What Lawrence Shankland could offer Rangers

Firstly, Shankland is a throwback number nine who can hold the ball up, win flick-ons, and cause constant problems for defenders from a physical perspective.

The 28-year-old star won 71% of his duels against Rangers and won 3.9 duels per game in the Premiership last term. Whereas, Dessers lost 67% of his duels in the division last season and only won 2.3 duels per match on average.

This suggests that the Hearts marksman could come in and immediately offer more than the Nigerian striker out of possession as a target man for the side.

Alongside his physical attributes, Shankland is also a lethal, and ‘ruthless’ as per Sutton, goalscorer who has been a reliable threat in the final third throughout his career.

The right-footed ace has scored 206 goals in 418 matches throughout his club career to date and his scoring prowess was on full display in the Premiership last season.

As you can see in the table above, Shankland racked up a hugely impressive tally of 24 goals in 37 league appearances, and only missed nine ‘big chances’.

This means that he scored eight more goals than Dessers despite missing 18 fewer ‘big chances’ than the Rangers man, which perfectly illustrates the gulf in quality between the pair when it comes to scoring goals.

The Hearts captain’s performances also earned him the PFA Scotland Player of the Year award, which essentially means that the Light Blues would be adding one of the best players, if not the best, in the division to their squad by signing him.

Clement must now launch a £3m swoop for the Scottish sensation to bolster his attack, as it would improve his team and finally allow him to ditch Dessers from the starting XI.