Glasgow Rangers were active throughout the January transfer window and completed their final signing on deadline day as they brought in Oscar Cortes on loan from RC Lens.
Mohammed Diomande and Fabio Silva had also been added to the squad on loan prior to the arrival of the young winger as Philippe Clement looked to bolster his squad.
The latter caught the eye as the Light Blues swatted Livingston aside at Ibrox with a comfortable 3-0 win in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday.
Fabio Silva
Vs Livingstone (via Sofascore)
Sofascore rating
7.6
Shots
Four
Goals
One
Big chances missed
One
Chances created
Two
As you can see in the table above, the Wolves loanee chipped in with a goal, which was an instinctive finish from close range after a scramble from a corner, and created opportunities for his teammates.
Rangers’ pursuit of another striker
His impressive performance came after the Gers failed in their pursuit of another striker, as it was reported that the club wanted to bring in another number nine to compete with Silva and Cyriel Dessers.
Football Insider reported at the end of December that Rangers were keeping tabs on Hearts captain Lawrence Shankland as a possible target.
They did, however, add at the time that the Scotland international would be priced out of the Gers’ January bid as they were targeting a minimum fee of £3 million for their star striker.
It said that in order to pay for the prolific marksman, the Ibrox giants would have to earn money from player sales, which is why all three of their signings—Cortes, Silva, and Diomande—arrived on loan terms from their respective clubs at first.
According to Football Insider, Rangers are ‘eyeing’ a summer raid for the Scotland international in addition to a permanent signing for Brighton & Hove Albion loanee Abdallah Sima in an attempt to finally acquire a goal scorer.
The report claims that their prospects of landing agreements for both players would be much increased if they qualified for the Champions League the following season. If the Green Bay Packers defeat Celtic in the title game this season, winning the Premiership would guarantee them automatic qualification.
They add that Hearts have offered Shankland two ‘record-breaking’ offers to extend his current contract with the Jam Tarts, which is due to expire at the end of next term, but he is yet to put pen to paper.
This means that his future is up in the air and the door could be open for Rangers to swoop for the £3m-rated striker in the summer, when he will only have 12 months left to run on his deal.
It would represent Hearts’ last opportunity to guarantee a fee for his services before a possible exit on a free in 2025, which the Gers could take advantage of with a move to add him to their squad ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
Clement could now avenge the club’s deadline day howler of failing to sign a striker to bolster their side by signing Shankland, who would be a big upgrade on Dessers, in the summer.
Cyriel Dessers’ struggles this season
The Nigerian centre-forward was snapped up from Italian side Cremonese ahead of the 2023/24 campaign and has endured a mixed bag in front of goal this season.
He arrived at Ibrox off the back of a fairly underwhelming season for his former club as they were relegated from the Serie A and the marksman only scored six goals from 7.15 xG in 26 league appearances.
His underperformance in the final third in Italy has carried over to Scotland as the experienced striker has been wasteful with the opportunities that have come his way for Rangers.
Dessers has scored eight goals and missed a staggering 13 ‘big chances’ in 20 Premiership appearances for the Scottish giants so far this season.
Cyriel Dessers
Vs Livingston (via Sofascore)
Minutes played
14
Touches
Six
Duel success rate
0%
Pass success rate
0%
Big chances missed
One
Goals + assists
Zero
As you can see in the table above, the 29-year-old attacker struggled badly off the bench on Saturday as he spurned a good opening and left a lot to be desired with his passing and lack of strength, which has been an issue throughout the campaign with a ground duel success rate of 29%.
The stats that show why Shankland would be a big upgrade on Dessers
Rangers could land a big upgrade on Dessers and avenge their deadline day howler of not adding a terrific marksman to the group by signing Shankland in the summer.
He is a proven Premiership performer who has been lethal in front of goals for Hearts since the start of last season. The £3m-rated ace knows the division and knows how to find the back of the net.
Journalist Euan Robertson once hailed Shankland as being “clinical” and that is still very much the case based on his form over the last 18 months.
His quality was on full display for Hearts in the Premiership on Saturday as he was directly involved in all three of their goals in a 3-2 win over Dundee, as you can see in the table below.
Lawrence Shankland
Vs Dundee (via Sofascore)
Sofascore rating
9.6
Shots on target
Two
Goals
Two
Big chances missed
Zero
Big chances created
One
Assists
One
The 28-year-old ace is now up to 16 goals in 24 top-flight appearances for the Jam Tarts this season, and he has racked up that total with only seven ‘big chances’ missed.
His incredible form this term has come off the back of a return of 24 goals and 16 ‘big chances’ missed in 37 league games during the 2022/23 campaign.
This means that Shankland has produced 40 goals and 23 ‘big chances’ missed in 61 Premiership clashes for Hearts since the start of last season.
That is a phenomenal return in front of goal over a significant period of time and proves that he has the quality to be clinical when chances come his way, whereas Dessers has missed five more big chances than he has managed goals this term.
Therefore, the Scotland international has the ability to be a sensational signing for Rangers as a proven Premiership upgrade on the Nigerian forward, with more goals and fewer big chances missed, which is why his arrival in the summer would avenge their deadline day blunder of not signing a striker.
