It looks as though Glasgow Rangers are set to make their first sale of the 2025 summer transfer window.
Striker Cyriel Dessers has agreed terms with Greek side AEK Athens, and the Light Blues have set a £5m asking price for the player.
This would ensure that the Ibrox side secure a profit on the Nigerian international, who was signed for £4.5m two summers ago, and this would give Russell Martin some funds to bolster his team.
Dessers certainly exuded Jekyll and Hyde-like performances throughout his two seasons in Glasgow, but his professionalism and effort cannot be faulted; that’s for sure.
A return of 51 goals across 109 games is a more than respectable tally. Going forward, however, it looks as though he isn’t going to fit into Martin’s tactical system.
Metric
Premiership
Europa League
Goals
18
3
Assists
2
2
Big chances missed
21
10
Shots per game
2.4
1.7
Goal conversion percentage
22%
15%
If the fee of £5m is correct, Dessers would be the first Rangers striker to be sold for this amount since a certain Nikica Jelavic departed the club in January 2012.
Then it was a transfer fee of £5.5m, but how would Martin love a striker of his calibre to be leading the line for the Light Blues next season?
Nikica Jelavic’s Rangers statistics
The summer of 2010 saw Rangers lose a few attacking players. Nacho Novo, who joined the club in 2004, moved on.
Elsewhere, Kris Boyd left the club when his contract expired, joining Middlesbrough. This meant Walter Smith had lost a pairing that had scored 72 and 129 goals respectively heading into the 2010/11 campaign.
Smith’s response? Sign Jelavic from Rapid Vienna for a fee in the region of £4m. It turned out to be money extremely well spent.
The Croatian hitman had scored 21 goals throughout the 2009/10 season, with three coming against Celtic in European competition, and he was seen as a direct replacement for Boyd.
His maiden season was like a dream. He may have only played 27 times due to injury, but the centre-forward produced when it truly mattered.
A return of 20 goals was excellent given the circumstances, and some were sublime efforts.
Take his overhead kick against Aberdeen at the tail end of the season, for example. With the Gers drawing 0-0, Jelavic’s stunning acrobatic effort sealed all three points.
Just weeks before, the striker had scored the winner against Celtic in the League Cup final, sealing the first trophy of the season for the club.
And who can forget the scenes at Rugby Park on the final day of the campaign? With Rangers needing a win to secure a third league title in a row, Jelavic scored once and grabbed an assist in a 5-1 victory.
Due to financial issues at the club, he was sold after just 18 months in Glasgow. His tally of 36 goals across 55 games works out as a goal every 1.5 matches for the Gers.
With Dado Prso before him and Antonio Colak a decade later, the Light Blues have enjoyed the services of excellent Croatian frontmen.
Could Martin be closing in on a move for another one?
Rangers search for a striker
With Dessers leaving, the attacking department is one that Martin will be keen on improving as the window progresses.
Israeli striker Dor Turgeman is a player who the club have shown plenty of interest in recently, and he could cost around £4m should the Gers make their move.
With firepower needed, the new manager could be set to make a bid for Croatian striker Matija Frigan in the coming days.
Indeed, according to reports coming out of Croatia (as relayed by the Scottish Sun), Martin is readying a £6m bid for the player in order to fend off interest from elsewhere.
Hamburg and Hull City are also looking to lure the player away from Belgian side Westerlo during the transfer window. The allure of playing in Europe and challenging for trophies makes Rangers favourites, as they are leading the race to land his signature.
He would be the fourth Croatian striker to play for the Ibrox side since 2004, and Martin may well unearth Jelavic 2.0.
Why Rangers must sign Matija Frigan
While he had his flaws, Rangers will be losing plenty of goals next season when Dessers departs.
Last season, Frigan scored 14 goals across 41 games, chipping in with four assists in the process.
In the Belgian Pro League, the 22-year-old recorded 2.2 shots per game, while also creating six big chances and finishing the season with a goal conversion percentage of 14% for Westerlo.
Football talent scout Jacek Kulig hailed him as a “complete forward” back in 2023 when the youngster was just making his mark, and he has gone from strength to strength ever since.
One issue Rangers have had to endure in recent seasons is a poor injury record. While Dessers may have been available almost every game, Danilo and Hamza Igamane missed their fair share of matches.
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Since the beginning of the 2023/24 season, Frigan has featured 69 times for the Belgian side, missing only six games through injury. This would be a big bonus for Martin, who could rely on the Croatian centre-forward without worrying about missing big matches.
Aged just 22, Frigan still has plenty of development to do, and what better place to grow than at Rangers? Igamane has shown that the club could be used as a stepping stone should a player deliver impressive performances.
£6m may sound like a lot on the surface, but to truly bolster the squad, Martin will need to spend big. Frigan could become another Jelavic-like player for the club. A striker who has an eye for goal, but who is also able to contribute in other areas.
A front two of Turgeman and Frigan could be a frightening prospect ahead of the 2025/26 season.
Early business will be crucial for Martin, and if he wraps a deal for the Westerlo centre-forward, it will give the supporters a boost heading into the Champions League qualifiers.
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