Glasgow Rangers are on the search for a new striker this summer as Philippe Clement aims to bolster his attacking options.
The Gers have been linked with a striker who could be an upgrade to the current options at the club, which may give the Belgian manager a chance to sell Cyriel Dessers.
Rangers search for a new striker
Romanian news outlet Digi Sport claimed that the Ibrox side were showing interest in a swoop for FC Rapid București centre-forward Albion Rrahmani.
Slavia Prague are also keen on the player, submitting a bid of around €3m (£2.5m) in order to sign him, yet that is much lower than the £6m asking price his club are seeking.
It is clear that Clement may need to move a few players on to raise funds for future signings, especially if they are going to cost £6m.
Could this perhaps see Dessers sold?
Why Albion Rrahmani could be a perfect Cyriel Dessers replacement
On the surface, it looks as though Dessers enjoyed a solid debut campaign in Glasgow, especially taking a look at his goal contributions.
Indeed, the Nigerian international scored 22 goals across 54 games, while chipping in with nine assists. Although this may seem impressive, the experienced striker also managed to miss a staggering 27 big chances in the Premiership alone, indicating that he missed more chances than he slotted away.
With Kemar Roofe and Danilo suffering a variety of injuries last term, Clement had to persist with Dessers as his main striker. Hopefully, with a few more signings, this won't be the case heading into the 2024/25 campaign.
Rrahmani could be the man that Clement is looking for, especially judging by his form at club level last season. The 23-year-old played a total of 30 games throughout 2023/24, scoring 19 goals and grabbing five assists in the process.
Metric
Dessers
Rrahmani
Goals
16
17
Assists
4
5
Big chances created
6
13
Big chances missed
27
18
Key passes per game
1.4
2
Compared to Dessers, Rrahmani missed nine fewer big chances domestically, which indicates that he could be more clinical in front of goal.
It isn’t just in front of goal where the Kosovo international impressed last term, as the striker managed to create 13 big chances while averaging two key passes per game in the top flight, demonstrating that he can set up his teammates too.
Rangers Journal founder Kai Watson hailed the centre-forward, stating that he was “on fire” following his exploits last term for Rapid.
Watson also said: “He’s another tall, powerful striker who definitely knows where the back of the net is.” And this praise suggests the youngster could be the answer to Clement’s attacking issues.
The next few weeks could be an interesting time when it comes to arrivals and departures at the Ibrox side, as there could be a high turnaround given how much quality needs to be added into the squad.
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If Clement has the budget, he must spend the money to bring Rrahmani to Glasgow this summer, especially if he aims to end Celtic’s domestic dominance in the next few years.