Rangers summer transfer ratings – 3/10 Dessers disappoints, 8/10 Butland stands out
Rangers faced a busy summer transfer window with plenty of incoming players arriving through the doors as Michael Beale looked to reshape his squad ahead of his first full season at Ibrox.
The club backed the boss relentlessly as he looked to build his team based on the way he wanted to play, with nine new players arriving in a huge shake-up of the squad.
Losing some key players this summer meant money was always going to be spent on replacements, but it’s hard to say many of the new arrivals have impressed in a shaky start to the season leading to pressure over Beale’s job.
Ibrox News has rated each signing out of 10 below…
Kieran Dowell – 6
Dowell has turned in some good, if uninspiring performances in his short time at the club. He has been consistent in that there are no real poor performances to speak of, but his effect on the first team has been limited so far.
He scored his first Rangers goal in the 4-0 victory against Livingston, coming off the bench to bag the fourth goal in the 90th minute.
Jack Butland – 8
Butland has been the standout performer among the new arrivals at Ibrox. His assured presence in goal has had a direct effect on his back line, looking confident and capable for the majority of his time in between the sticks, with a poor showing against PSV the exception.
A commanding performance against Ross County stands out, where he was rarely called into action, but made a fantastic save to tip a vicious shot over the bar displaying excellent concentration and reactions.
Dujon Sterling – 2
Sterling has failed to make much of an impression on Beale’s Rangers side so far, with captain James Tavernier the preferred option in the right-back position, leading to a number of cameo appearances from the bench before his first start against Celtic.
He was underwhelming in that game and was subbed off after 65 minutes, having won just four of nine duels in the game, losing possession seven times and completing none of his three attempted dribbles. [Sofascore]
Sam Lammers – 5
With just one goal in eight Rangers appearances, it has not been the flying start the striker would have been targeting upon his arrival at Ibrox, but Beale’s decision to play him behind two other strikers has limited his impact in the final third of the pitch.
Lammers was the first of many attacking signings through the doors at Ibrox this summer, as the club desperately searched for replacements for the outgoing Alfredo Morelos and Ryan Kent, but he has failed to live up to the standard set by the former Gers duo.
Beale has experimented with Lammers in several positions already this season, playing on the right wing against Kilmarnock in the opening-day defeat and behind two strikers in the victories against Livingston and Ross County, but is yet to nail down a desired role. [Sofascore].
Abdallah Sima – 5
Another of the many attacking signings through the door at Rangers, Sima has struggled to make his imprint on the first team. Much like Lammers, his role in the side is still up for debate. Ideally, he would be playing out wide where he can cause issues with his pace and direct play, but he doesn’t affect the game enough.
In the Champions League clash against Servette in which Rangers drew 1-1, Sima started on the wing and was completely unable to influence the game. One shot, one successful dribble, and a pass accuracy of just 68% which saw the winger lose the ball 15 times was an awful showing against a lesser side [Sofascore].
Cyriel Dessers – 3
Dessers is the third of four attacking signings brought in by Beale and by far the least impressive. He is still without a league goal despite featuring in all four games so far, and his performance against Celtic summed up his short spell.
In 76 minutes playing as a lone striker, Dessers didn’t have a single shot. He failed to hold the ball up or bring teammates into play with a pass accuracy of just 47% and won just five of 13 duels [Sofascore].
Fans will be expecting a lot more from the Nigerian international as the pressure begins to mount up, with his performances so far simply not good enough to fill the void left by Morelos.
Leon Balogun – 6
Balogun has made just one appearance so far this season, having arrived on a free transfer as an emergency option following the injury to fellow defender Leon King. His defensive display against Livingston was a solid one, showing he is more than capable, but has not appeared since.
The Nigerian spent last season playing in the Championship for QPR, where Beale managed for a period before making the switch to Ibrox and was more than happy to join his boss back at his former club when the Glasgow side came calling once more.
Danilo – 4
Much like Dessers, Danilo has failed to impress despite plenty of hype around his signing as he arrived from Eredivisie champions Feyenoord for the biggest individual fee Rangers spent this summer.
Danilo does have one league goal, unlike his teammate, but has been similarly disappointing in his overall performances, struggling to lend his quality to the side as their struggles continue.
He has rarely featured from the start, making just three starts this season as he has primarily been used as a backup to Dessers despite the Nigerian’s consistently poor performances.
Jose Cifuentes – 6
Similarly to Kieran Dowell, Cifuentes has enjoyed a solid but unremarkable start to his Rangers career. Signed from LAFC to provide a more attacking outlet in Beale’s midfield, he has struggled to make a huge impact but has turned in some tidy performances in the middle of the park.
WhoScored has given him an average rating of 7.26 across his six Rangers appearances, although he has largely featured as a substitute which has limited the data on his performance.
Todd Cantwell and Nicolas Raskin have been Beale’s preferred creative options in the midfield, with Cifuentes struggling to get a look into their strongest side, despite the anticipation around his signing.
In other Rangers news, a finance expert has shared his verdict on Michael Beale’s Rangers future.