George Overhill

Sun 28 January 2024 20:50, UK

Michael Stewart believes it is “clear” that Rangers don’t plan to get rid of Cyriel Dessers but believes the likes of Lawrence Shankland should have been signed over the Nigerian in the summer.

The pundit said on BBC Sportsound that it was “ignorant” for Scottish clubs to overlook domestically-based options in favour of signing players from overseas, with the Hearts skipper and Aberdeen’s Bojan Miovski seen as better moves than the Ibrox striker despite his recent scoring form.

Dessers’ fellow summer arrival, Sam Lammers, has already departed again on loan during the January transfer window, but Stewart doesn’t expect the match-winner in the 1-0 win at St Mirren on 27 January to follow him, despite ongoing links to Jambos star Shankland.

Stewart said, as per the Daily Record: “Dessers is a very interesting one. You can’t discount the goals he is scoring now and a lot of people are starting to suggest things are turning. For me, I think it is clear they are not going to try to move him on.

“When you look at the money outlayed on Cyriel Dessers, the transfer fee, wages, and you look at someone closer to home with Lawrence Shankland and Bojan Miovski for example, these two guys who are already in the league.

“For me, they are far superior strikers to Cyriel Dessers. They wouldn’t cost the wages and the transfers that have been spent on Dessers coming in. I think far too often clubs in this country are dismissive of and ignorant towards domestic players.

“Seldom do you see players who go from other clubs in Scotland to teams higher up the divisions and are unmitigated disasters. One, because they don’t often cost big, big money, and two, more often than not they actually do well.

“It is incredible how often the bigger clubs in the country are ignorant towards the players already in the domestic league. Dessers is scoring goals now but his all-round game is still not at a level you would expect for the outlay on him.”

Forging ahead

Rangers seemingly are interested in Shankland as the Scottish Sun reported on 27 January that the club’s scouts were again in attendance at the weekend to watch him.

But in the face of Hearts’ reticence to let him leave it remains to be seen whether an offer will be put on the table in the final days of the window, after big money was tied up in the deal to bring Mohamed Diomande in.

Philippe Clement certainly looks like he needs another number nine, with Danilo and Kemar Roofe injured and the main source of goals in attack, Abdallah Sima, also out long-term.

Dessers deserves credit for increasingly contributing with goals despite a difficult start to life at Ibrox, and in light of his current form and the lack of viable alternatives there is surely no chance Rangers can let him go anywhere right now.

Shankland would clearly be an excellent addition at this stage but a deal is anything but simple to do in the current window.

Dessers, 29, hasn’t been the immediate hit that Rangers would have hoped for after £4.5m was spent in the summer [Daily Mail, 4 July], but with 12 goals in all competitions now he is stepping up when called upon increasingly.

An alternative to guard against yet another injury striking the forward department would be very helpful this month still, but time is running out to bring one in.

In other Rangers news, another first-team player is now “poised” to complete a move away before the deadline according to BBC Sport.

For more Rangers news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.