Rangers confirm departure of 52-goal hitman as Ibrox club land seven-figure fee and issue statement
Rangers have confirmed that the player has left Ibrox on a permanent transfer.
Rangers have announced the departure of enigmatic striker Cyriel Dessers to Panathinaikos on deadline day, with the Ibrox giants set to receive a seven-figure fee for the Nigerian forward.
The 30-year-old moves to the Athens Olympic Stadium, and becomes Rangers’ 11th first team departure of the window, joining Ridvan Yilmaz, Jefte, Ben Davies, Hamza Igamane, Ross McCausland, Jose Cifuentes, Robin Pröpper, Tom Lawrence, Ianis Hagi and Leon Balogun is departing Ibrox this summer, with the club expected to receive a fee of around £3.5million for Dessers.
Linked with a move to the Greek Super League throughout the summer, the Nigerian international had been expected to complete a move to AEK Athens in July, with reports indicating that he had already agreed terms with the club. However, that deal appeared to hit the buffers when the two clubs were unable to agree on a fee for the striker, allowing their rivals to swoop.
Dessers had come back into the squad at the start of the new campaign, with Russell Martin praising his professionalism despite speculation around his future. “Cyriel [Dessers] is the only guy in the building that we've actually had a bid for,” said Martin following the 1-1 opening day draw with Motherwell. “He comes on for two games and runs like a beast and gets on with it because he's a good professional, a good human being."
Arriving in summer of 2023 for a fee of around £4.5million from Cremonese, Dessers had a mixed journey at Rangers, marked by flashes of brilliance and inconsistency. Scoring 52 goals across all competitions, his record can not be disputed. Despite is record though, he often criticised for missed opportunities.
Following the confirmation of his departure from the Gers, the striker said: “We played with Rangers against Panathinaikos and I saw the atmosphere with my own eyes. Panathinaikos are a very good team. Of course, Rangers went through in the end, but I was impressed with them. I also saw the history and it is a great club. In the games against Panathinaikos, I noticed that they created a lot of chances and they get the ball into the box a lot.”
Rangers official website added, in a short statement: “Everyone at the club thanks Cyriel for his contribution during his time in Glasgow, and we wish him well for the future.
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