Cyriel Dessers isn’t the answer. The Glasgow Rangers striker may have good intentions and puts the hard yards in, but the reality is, the Light Blues are never going to win the Premiership title with the Nigerian as the main centre-forward.
Take last season, for example. Yes, he may have scored 22 goals from 54 appearances, add in nine assists, and the striker has 31 goal contributions in total. This works out as one goal involvement every 1.7 games, not bad at all.
Taking a deeper dive into his top-flight stats offers a more comprehensive look as to why he isn’t the answer for next season.
The 29-year-old missed a staggering 27 big chances in 35 matches while finishing the season with a goal conversion rate of just 16%, hardly the best figures.
Goals
16
1
Assists
4
1
Big chances created
8
0
Big chances missed
27
0
Shots per game
2.9
0.4
Goal conversion percentage
16%
33%
Danilo should be fit for the start of the season having spent the previous few months recovering from a serious knee injury in December, but questions will be asked if he doesn’t start scoring goals when he returns to full fitness.
The Ibrox side made a massive mistake by allowing Alfredo Morelos to leave for free at the end of the 2022/23 season when his contract expired, as a player of his calibre would be perfect right now for Philippe Clement.
Alfredo Morelos’ Rangers statistics
Morelos arrived at Rangers as a 21-year-old with a point to prove who had impressed at Finnish side HJK Helsinki, scoring 46 goals in just 62 appearances for the club.
He had plenty of potential, but was a move too much of a gamble for Pedro Caixinha, who was aiming to dethrone Celtic?
A debut season which consisted of 18 goals and eight assists for the Ibrox side certainly proved the gamble paid off, and it kept getting better and better.
30 goals came the following season before tallies of 29 and 17 meant the Colombian striker entered cult hero status, especially following his exploits on the European stage.
Indeed, after scoring against Benfica in November 2020 before eventually finishing with a record of 29 European goals from 63 matches, becoming the club’s highest scorer on the continental stage.
He suffered an injury while on international duty with Colombia in April 2022 which ruled him out of both the Scottish Cup and Europa League final, with the injury taking longer than necessary to fully heal.
This meant he was only able to find the back of the net on just 12 occasions, despite playing 48 matches. As the campaign wore on, it was clear Morelos was keen on leaving the place where he had been for the previous six years.
In his prime, the striker was a battering ram, someone who created things from nothing and shone on the big stage. His final few seasons may not have been as great, but Clement craves a player with his ability in the final third.
Might the Belgian be eyeing up someone who scored against the Light Blues three times last season?
Rangers eyeing up Scottish striker
According to the Daily Record, Clement’s side have reportedly reignited their interest in Hearts striker Lawrence Shankland in a bid to strengthen their first team squad.
Improving his attacking options is clearly a priority for the 50-year-old coach and the report states that he could consider a bid to see if Steven Naismith would be tempted to part ways with the centre-forward, who has just a year left on his current deal.
Since moving back to Scotland with the Jam Tarts, Shankland has proven to be one of the finest strikers in the land, scoring a remarkable 59 goals in 94 appearances for the Gorgie outfit since the summer of 2022.
Not since Morelos during the 2018/19 season has the club had a player scoring 30 goals or more. If they manage to lure Shankland west, Clement has the chance to sign a player worthy of replacing the Colombian.
Lawrence Shankland’s season in numbers
The 6 foot 1 hitman ended his debut season in Edinburgh with a goal tally of 28, which included three in Europe, yet he improved on this last term.
In the same number of games for Hearts, Shankland scored 31 goals, an increase of three from the previous campaign, while he also chipped in with eight assists, four more than 2022/23.
This clearly proves that not only is he becoming more prolific in front of goal, but his all round game is also improving, creating plenty of chances for others.
Among his teammates, Shankland unsurprisingly ranked first in the squad for goals and assists (28) in the Premiership, while also ranking first for shots on target per match (1.4) and scoring frequency (goal every 136 minutes), while finishing second for successful dribbles per game (one), big chances created (six) and key passes per fixture (1.4).
These statistics are yet more evidence of the striker developing more parts of his game. Of course, netting 31 goals is wonderful, but being able to bring others into play more often helps share the workload.
This was something Morelos developed as his Ibrox career went on, as his hold-up play eventually became one of his best traits.
Journalist Josh Bunting dubbed Shankland as “remarkable” last season and there is no doubt he is ready for a move to a club like Rangers this summer.
At 28, the Scotland international is currently at his peak. While this may only last another season or two, it is irrelevant. The important thing is Clement signs a player who realistically can score 30 goals or more in the coming season.
If he does, it could signal the end for Dessers, who would surely be on the way out of Ibrox in order to secure regular game time.
Morelos was a one-off. A player which the Ibrox faithful take a shine to right away. Shankland won't be a carbon copy of the former Gers player, but his knack for finding the back of the net should be enough to endear himself to the supporters.
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ByDan Emery