Cyriel Dessers reveals 'big relief' as protracted move to Rangers finally reaches conclusion

Cyriel Dessers expressed “big relief” after being unveiled as Rangers' latest new signing following the successful completion of his protracted transfer from Italian side Cremonese.

Rangers boss Michael Beale has been pursuing the Nigerian international for a number of weeks but the move was in the balance as the clubs struggled to reach an agreement over a transfer fee.

However, a deal was struck earlier this week and – with anxious fans eagerly awaiting confirmation – the Ibrox side have now officially announced the signing of Dessers on a four-year contract in a deal reported to be worth £4.5million with add-ons.

The 28-year-old striker becomes Michael Beale's sixth signing of a busy summer transfer window with at least two further additions likely before the start of the new season as talks remain ongoing with Los Angeles FC midfielder Jose Cifuentes and Nottingham Forrest defender Jonathan Panzo.

Rangers have completed the signing of striker Cyriel Dessers from Cremonese.

He is the most expensive Ibrox signing of the summer with Jack Butland, Dujon Sterling and Kieran Dowell all arriving on free transfers, Abdallah Sima joining on loan from Brighton, while Sam Lammers was recruited from Atalanta for around £3million.

Dessers told the Rangers website: “I am really happy, it is a big relief to finally be here. There have been some long days and some stressful days, but it is a great feeling to finally be here.

"The history of the club, the fans, the stadium, it's massive but next to that I look at what is here at this moment. I had really good talks with Michael Beale about his plans, the ideas of what he wants on and off the pitch and I thought that could be a really good fit for me and for the team so I am happy to be here."

Dessers was born in Belgium but has Nigerian citizenship and has been capped four times for the Super Eagles. He made 26 appearances in Serie A last season, scoring six times as Cremonese were relegated to Serie B. He also has experienced of top flight football in the Netherlands with Feyenoord, where he finished the 2021-22 season as the Europa Conference League's top scorer with 10 goals, and in Belgium.

Beale added: “We are delighted to have Cyriel joining our club. He brings a lot of experience from playing in Holland, Belgium and Italy, as well as in European competitions.

“We were looking for a very specific profile and believe that Cyriel will give us a variety of qualities both in and out of possession. When we met, we spoke at length about his alignment to our style of play and the other forwards we have in our squad.

"At 28-years-old, he is at a good age and will bring personality and leadership to our team. Cyriel pushed extremely hard to make this transfer a reality and showed a huge desire to come here.

“We are very happy to have him and his family joining us at Rangers. He is an excellent addition to our squad and I look forward to working with him closely over the coming seasons.”