Renowned sports pundit Dan Bardell has warned Rangers against selling Super Eagles forward Cyriel Dessers.
This follows a report linking the Belgian-born forward to Greek champions PAOK who are said to be keen on signing him this summer as they seek to bolster their attack.
Dessers had a mixed first season at Ibrox and that explains why he came under scrutiny for most of the season, particularly in the first half of the campaign.
With Rangers losing club legend Alfredo Morelos last summer, the Nigerian striker was expected to come in and hit the ground running but couldn’t do so which didn’t go down well with the fans.
His fortunes changed when Phillipe Clement became the Light Blues’ manager last October, registering five goals and three assists in his first 10 league games under the Belgian tactician.
He would play a key role in the Scottish giants’ reaching the Scottish FA Cup final, scoring a brace against Hearts in the semifinal but they lost in the final to bitter rivals Celtic.
They also missed out on the Scottish Premiership to Celtic which led to demands that Rangers will need to sign a striker better than Dessers if they were to challenge the Bhoys for laurels next term.
Speaking to Ibrox News, Bardell has frowned against the idea of selling the Nigeria international and is of the opinion that the 55-time Scottish champions may struggle to replace him.
“It’s always a risk letting a player go who has already proven that they can score goals and replacing them.
“I don’t think Rangers can lose many more goals from their side but with Dessers leaving they would lose a large proportion.
Signing a new forward, there’s no guarantee that it works out better than him.
“Rangers have to be careful because goalscorers come at a premium and every club is looking for a number nine. The number nine market is harder than it’s probably ever been so it is a risk from Rangers.
“If they bring someone new in they’ve got to get it right,” he said.
The one-time UEFA Europa Conference League top scorer tallied 22 goals across all competitions last season.
