Rangers striker hunt as €9m ace considered, price tag revealed for star, interest ‘cools’ in 22-goal ace

One of the areas Rangers are keen to strengthen in the summer is the front line following the departure of Alfredo Morelos and uncertainty surrounding the future of Antonio Colak.

Manager Michael Beale promised the biggest rebuild the club has seen in years and he expressed his desire to add goals to his side in a bid to make them more of a threat and more clinical in the final third.

Rangers have been linked with a number of forward options but have yet to add a striker, having captured both defender Dujon Sterling and midfielder Kieran Dowell. The next two arrivals which are most likely are Jose Cifutentes, the Ecuadorian international midfielder from LAFC, and goalkeeper Jack Butland.

The club are understood to be keen on Nigerian international striker Cyriel Dessers. The Daily Record reports the player’s side Cremonense, want upwards of £6.5million despite the team's relegation from Serie A. The Italian outfit spent that to bring him to the club from Genk in the summer following an impressive spell with Feyenoord. He hit 21 goals, ten of which came in 13 Conference League games as the Dutch giants made it to the final where they were defeated by Roma. The 28-year-old, who is under contract until 2027, managed ten this season despite his team’s struggles and has attracted interest from elsewhere.

It could force Rangers to turn their attention elsewhere with links to another Serie A striker, Dutchman Sam Lammers. The 26-year-old is currently contracted to Atalanta, who paid €9million to sign him from PSV in 2020 on a five-year deal. He spent last season on loan at Empoli, where he was a team-mate of former Celtic and Hibs midfielder Liam Henderson, and then Sampdoria for the second half of the campaign. The previous campaign he had a loan stint at Eintracht Frankfurt and was an unused sub in the Europa League final against Rangers.

The club's interest in Dessers and Lammers has seen interest cool on Tasos Douvikas, the Utrecht forward. According to reports in the Netherlands, he is no longer in the frame. The Greek international has had an excellent season, finishing joint top scorer in the Eredivisie with PSV’s Xavi Simons on 19 goals, hitting 22 in total.