Michael Stewart says Rangers may look to sell big name in January, new transfer mooted

Michael Stewart has tipped Rangers to sell Cyriel Dessers after he did not step up to take a penalty in their Scottish League Cup final defeat against Celtic on Sunday.

The pundit was shocked to see Jack Butland take the Gers’ fifth penalty in the 5-4 shootout defeat to the Hoops at Hampden on 15 December despite Dessers being available.

He believes the Nigeria international not being one of the five players to step up for Philippe Clement’s side highlights a deficiency at Ibrox, urging the Light Blues to offload him in the process for a new attacker.

“To a certain extent, the players have got to feel it themselves and if Dessers is not feeling it, you cannot force him into taking a penalty”, Stewart said on Premier Sports’ The Scottish Football Social Club (Monday, 16 December).

“Again, the whole thing highlights what is clearly a deficiency. He has clearly dropped down the pecking order now anyway, but you cannot have your main number nine not able to step up and take one of the first five penalties in a massive game like that.

“[Hamza] Igamane has now made himself what you’d regard as the main striker at Rangers, Danilo is coming back and he’s fit, scores a great goal by equalising in that last minute of the game.

“You’d imagine that they’ll be looking at trying to offload Dessers, I’d think. I think it’s plain and simple and they’d be looking to get somebody else in the door.”

Michael Stewart is right about Cyriel Dessers, Rangers must sell him

Dessers recently turned 30 and one would expect a striker of his experience to step up to take a penalty in a high-pressure situation.

The former Cremonese man started the season as Clement’s first-choice striker, with the Belgian tactician sticking by him longer than he should have.

There were huge shouts for Dessers to be axed after he managed to score just four goals in Rangers’ first 13 Scottish Premiership games of the season.

Igamane, meanwhile, has grabbed his chance with both hands, bagging five goals and two assists in his last six appearances for the club.

Danilo has also hit a fine run of form after returning from injury, scoring once in each of his last three games.

Therefore, Dessers is likely to find playing time hard to come by in the coming months and it would make sense for Rangers to sell him in the January transfer window if they receive an offer.

In other Rangers news, a new Clement sack update has dropped at Ibrox after Sunday’s result.

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