Glasgow Rangers began their Premiership season with a whimper, failing to score as they dropped two crucial points.
The 0-0 draw against Hearts at Tynecastle highlights exactly what areas of the team Philippe Clement needs to strengthen prior to the summer transfer window closing.
There were chances created during the clash, but the front three failed to provide much in the way of an attacking threat as the Gers managed just three shots on target throughout the entire 90 minutes.
This won’t win titles, especially with players such as Cyriel Dessers leading the line when it looked like he could be leaving the Ibrox side during the summer break.
Cyriel Dessers’ stats against Hearts
The Nigerian centre-forward may have scored 22 goals last season, a more than respectable tally on the surface.
Taking a deeper look into his numbers, however, proves that he should have had 30 or more goals during his maiden season as the striker missed 27 big chances in the top flight alone, a staggering statistic.
Having failed to improve his striking options ahead of the start of the campaign, Clement persisted with Dessers against Hearts.
It was yet another underwhelming display. Someone more clinical would have netted a hat-trick if they had the chances that were presented to Dessers, who hit the woodwork while missing two more massive chances.
The 29-year-old took fewer touches than goalkeeper Jack Butland during the game, while completing just seven passes, suggesting that he was barely involved.
There is still time for the Belgian tactician to sign another centre-forward before the window slams shut at the end of the month.
The 50-year-old have been boosted with a fresh update concerning a player who was a target when the window opened back in June.
Rangers learn price tag for Kosovan striker
A few months ago, Rangers were heavily linked with Rapid Bucuresti striker Albion Rrahmani and it looked as though the Light Blues were closing in on a move for the player.
Subsequent weeks saw the links go quiet, and it looked as though Clement had moved on from the striker, but now a fresh update has emerged from Romania.
According to Pro Sport, the Romanian outfit have set a price tag for the striker. They are looking for a bid of around €6m (£5m) in order for any club to prise away their star man this summer.
The report goes on to state that Rangers are preparing to make an offer for the centre-forward, knowing exactly how much it will take to sign Rrahmani.
Could this perhaps see Clement finally make a concrete offer in a bid to improve his attacking options? He should be considering it after the stalemate against Hearts last weekend.
Albion Rrahmani’s 2023/24 season in numbers
The Light Blues have been crying out for a striker to be consistent in front of goal, with only Alfredo Morelos being a regular threat since the club returned to the top flight in 2016.
In 30 matches for Rapid last term, Rrahmani scored an impressive 19 goals while grabbing five assists, proving that he can also create opportunities for others.
That goal tally means he found the back of the net once every 1.5 matches. Compare this strike rate with Dessers, who scored once every 2.5 matches, showing exactly who would be the more clinical option in front of goal.
Goals
17
16
Assists
5
4
Big chances created
13
8
Big chances missed
18
27
Successful dribbles per game
1.2
0.4
Key passes per game
2
1.4
Among his teammates, Rrahmani ranked first for goals and assists unsurprisingly (22), along with ranking second for shots on target per game (1.3), first for big chances created (13) and for key passes per match (2), certainly proving that he would be an ideal all-round option for Clement to call upon next term.
His form last season was exceptional, and it looks as though he has carried this into the current campaign.
After just two matches of the 2024/25 Romanian Super Liga season, Rrahmani has managed to score once, grab an assist, average two key passes per fixture and succeed with 71% of his dribble attempts thus far.
There is no doubt these statistics will only get better. The question is, will he be at Rangers by the end of the transfer window?
Why Albion Rrahmani would be a good signing for Rangers
Rangers Journal founder Kai Watson praised the forward midway through last season, prior to the Light Blues interest, saying:
“Kosovar international Albion Rrahmani has been on fire in Romania this season. He’s another tall, powerful striker who definitely knows where the back of the net is.
“His movement across defenders is what gets him a lot of his chances. He has real positional intelligence, which, some may say, Rangers have lacked this season.”
Fast-forward nine months, and it appears as though the Kosovan has got even better. He would be a much more clinical option up top compared to Dessers, no doubt about that.
Indeed, compared to Dessers, Rrahmani missed nine fewer big chances domestically, which indicates that he is much more clinical in front of goal.
Having created an impressive 13 big chances for his teammates last term, Rrahmani shines elsewhere on the pitch. Dessers, in comparison, created just eight, despite playing ten more matches than the Rapid striker last term.
Clement may have to sell another first-team player or two in order to raise more funds for future incomings, but there is no doubt that Rrahmani must be a Rangers player before the transfer deadline.
He won’t only add goals but could be a menace to opposition defences through his impressive movement and ability to create opportunities in the final third.
£5m is a decent sum of money on the surface, but if the youngster can fire the Light Blues to the league title this season, then it would be money well spent.
The next few weeks could see the squad change significantly, but the Belgian simply cannot persist with someone like Dessers, who misses more than he actually scores.
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