Can Rangers afford to let ‘brilliant’ Dessers go?

The curious case of Cyriel Dessers continues to intrigue.

On Tuesday, the Rangers striker announced his arrival under Russell Martin’s rule in the emphatic 3-0 Champions League qualifying first-leg win over Viktoria Plzen.

Time and again he has been written off in his Rangers career. This was perhaps a reminder of just what he can offer and how he might be of value within a new style of play at Ibrox.

His coolness to convert the penalty for the second, after a long delay just before half-time, demonstrated the value of his experience and the character he possesses to shut out everything around him and deliver.

He has a lot of experience of that in his Rangers career.

More than that, he looked every bit the focal point up top that Rangers want to bring their attacking threat together.

So is the Nigeria striker now a key part of the puzzle having seemed likely to depart?

A slight injury has curtailed Dessers’ start to this campaign, but his head coach was full of praise at his display, while critical of others, after coming on as a substitute in the disappointing opening-day Premiership draw against Motherwell.

He was given the platform to build on that against Plzen, replacing the ineffective Danilo, and seized on his chance.

This, after a summer of speculation over his future.

Martin confirmed at the weekend that the only player the club have received a bid for in this window is Dessers and, on the evidence of this performance, interest might not end there.

Martin described his performance as both “amazing” and “brilliant,” which suggests he sees value in retaining him at Ibrox.

“I thought he was great tonight,” he said.

“We had a really good chat yesterday about what he needs to bring to the team, and he took the ball in well [and] the guys found him a lot in the first half.

“I feel we could have found him more and played off him a bit more, but I thought he was brilliant.”

Neil McCann is well placed to evaluate Dessers’ worth, having worked closely with the striker in his time at Ibrox during Barry Ferguson’s interim tenure at the club last term.

During that spell, Dessers finished the season strongly – netting in every post-split fixture in the Premiership run-in, with six goals in the final five games.

That sort of consistency would suit any club, but the criticism has come from a perceived wastefulness in front of goal and tendency to be unable to bring others into play effectively.

“I believe he makes Rangers a better side,” the former Rangers winger said.

“Dessers has to stay at the club. He’s a goal threat. He’s the main man to play number nine.

“He’s ahead of Igamane and Danilo in terms of leading the line.”