Cyriel Dessers could be on the verge of a Serie A comeback, with both Hellas Verona and Cremonese interested in prising the Nigerian striker away from Rangers before the close of the transfer window, Soccernet.ng reports.
The 30-year-old has struggled for consistent minutes at Ibrox this season, with manager Russell Martin preferring Hamza Igamane and Danilo to lead the line.
Despite finishing last term as Rangers’ top scorer in the Scottish Premiership with 18 goals, uncertainty now surrounds his long-term future in Glasgow.
Italy is familiar ground for Dessers. He joined Cremonese in 2022 and scored seven times in 29 Serie A appearances during a relegation campaign that still earned him respect for his work rate and physical presence.
Rangers secured his signature for around £4.5m in July 2023, but just two years later, his former employers are eager to bring him back as they return to the top flight through the play-offs.
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According to Nico Schira, Cremonese are not the only Italian club eyeing Cyriel Dessers as Verona, Serie A champions in 1985, are also firmly in the race.
Hellas Verona’s attacking struggles last season were glaring, as they finished 14th with one of the lowest goal tallies among clubs who avoided relegation. Adding a forward with Dessers’ pedigree is seen as a priority.
Rangers are prepared to consider bids of around £4m, though much will hinge on Dessers’ own choice.
Earlier in the summer, he came close to a switch to AEK Athens after the Greek side tabled a €1.7m-a-year salary package, almost €1m above his current wages. But a €5.2m bid was rejected by Rangers, and AEK instead signed Luka Jovic following his departure from AC Milan.
For now, Dessers remains focused on his football. Having recovered from a pre-season injury, he has already featured in Champions League qualifiers and opened his account for the new campaign with a penalty against Viktoria Plzen. His attitude has drawn praise from Martin, who hailed him as a model professional within the squad.
As Rangers chase Champions League group-stage football and prepare for another title battle with Celtic, Dessers could yet play a decisive role. Still, both Verona and Cremonese remain on alert, hopeful of tempting him back to Serie A.
Dessers is under contract at Rangers until 2027.