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News
- 7 hours ago
Dessers is going! Six signings Russell Martin can make to replace Rangers striker
Robin Bairner
- 19 Jun 2025 14:30 BST
- 6 min read
News
Rangers are set to sell Cyriel Dessers to AEK in what will be the first major piece of transfer business at Ibrox this summer.
Dessers has cut a frustrating figure in Glasgow during his stint with the Gers, offering a strong goal return but equally showing a very erratic side to his game in front of goal.
His transfer has stalled because of a holdup over the fee, but whether he heads to Greece or not, there appears little doubt he is destined for the Ibrox exit.
Current ETV
Cyriel Dessers
F (C)
Rangers
Cyriel Dessers
F (C)
Rangers
ETV Range
€2.1M - €3.1M
Replacing him with a like-for-like player, though, will not be easy.
FootballTransfers has looked at some of the potential options for Rangers using the following criteria with data analytics experts SciSports:
- Similarity: 85% or greater match to Dessers
- Position: Center-forward
- Age: 27 or under
- Market value: €5m or under
- SciSkill: 70 or greater
Jacob Brown - Luton Town
Estimated Transfer Value (ETV): €3.5m
Scotland international Jacob Brown is the most obvious option on this list to replace Dessers at Ibrox.
The 27-year-old, whose mother was born in Glasgow, has played his whole professional career in England but has eight caps for Scotland.
He is a player who offers Premier League experience but a lack of goals is a concern.
Brown is not as strong as Dessers, according to SciSports, and with Rangers seeking to upgrade this area of the field, they are unlikely to make a move.
Current ETV
Jacob Brown
F, AM (C), M (R)
Luton
Jacob Brown
F, AM (C), M (R)
Luton
ETV Range
€2.8M - €4.2M
Igor Matanovic – Eintracht Frankfurt
Estimated Transfer Value (ETV): €9.4m
A tempting option for Rangers could be Igor Matanovic, with the 22-year-old currently on the books of Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt. With €100 million striker Hugo Ekitike in front of him in the pecking order, his prospects of game time are limited and there are suggestions he could be sold for as little as €5m – half his value.
He would arrive at Ibrox and would immediately be a star player in what would be a welcome change of scene for the 22-year-old.
An international team-mate or Borna Barisic, he would be an ambitious player for Rangers to chase but one that would be seen as a real statement of intent if they were to land.
STATS
Igor Matanović
F (C)
E. Frankfurt
Igor Matanović
F (C)
E. Frankfurt
Julian Carranza - Feyenoord
Estimated Transfer Value (ETV): €9.4m
Argentine centre-forward Carranza didn’t exactly have the easiest of debut seasons at Feyenoord last term, despite a promising start. A calf injury in December broke his momentum and he only netted one Eredivisie goal in 2025, although he also scored against AC Milan in the Champions League.
Could the 25-year-old be on his way out? Don’t rule it out. He was snapped up on a free transfer by Feyenoord and it may be that they cut their losses on the player.
Crucially, there would be no language barrier: Carranza has played extensively in MLS, where he scored 37 goals in 112 games for Philadelphia and Miami.
Russell Martin to change Rangers style?
Going down another route, it’s worth looking at the type of striker that new Rangers boss Russell Martin likes.
This means that he is not searching for a like-for-like player to replace Dessers but perhaps someone more like Cameron Archer, who was in the main his striker at Southampton last season.
Here are the criteria in this case:
- Similarity: 85% or greater match to Archer
- Position: Center-forward
- Age: 27 or under
- Market value: €5m or under
- SciSkill: 70 or greater
Ross Stewart - Southampton
Estimated Transfer Value (ETV): €4.4m
Martin has already signed Ross Stewart once, so why couldn’t he do it again? The 28-year-old had his chances limited by injury in the last two years but finished 2024/25 by scoring against Arsenal – his first league goal for Saints since a move from Sunderland a couple of years earlier.
The injury problems that have dogged him put a question mark over his future on the south coast and a return to Scotland should not be ruled out for the two-time capped international. He would be seen as a risk, however.
Current ETV
Ross Stewart
F (C)
Southampton
Ross Stewart
F (C)
Southampton
ETV Range
€3.6M - €5.3M
George Hirst - Ipswich
Estimated Transfer Value (ETV): €4.4m
Hirst has struggled to make his mark at Ipswich, but the 26-year-old is rated by SciSports as being a more talented centre-forward than Dessers and would, therefore, be an upgrade for Rangers.
He got three Premier League goals last season, despite getting just 647 minutes as he battled both knee trouble and the form of Liam Delap. With Ipswich’s first-choice No.9 gone, he will expect more of a role to play in the Championship, which does not bode well for any transfer aspirations Rangers or Russell Martin might have.
STATS
George Hirst
F (C)
Ipswich Town
George Hirst
F (C)
Ipswich Town
Junior Adamu - Freiburg
Estimated Transfer Value (ETV): €5.2m
Another ambitious target is Freiburg attacker Junior Adamu, who at 24 has a good deal more to come. SciSports rate him as a significantly better player than Dessers and up there with Celtic’s best attacking options. In short: he is the type of player Rangers need to find a way to attract.
Regular football as a starter could be one way of doing this. Rangers can offer him that.
Last season, the 24-year-old only scored two league goals but the Nigeria-born player is capable of so much more and, if harnessed properly, could be a smart addition to the Glasgow giants.
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