Rangers sign Nigeria forward Cyriel Dessers from Cremonese

Rangers have signed Nigeria forward Cyriel Dessers from Italian Serie B side Cremonese.

The Ibrox side confirmed the signing on Thursday following a two-day medical as the 28-year-old becomes Michael Beale’s sixth summer signing.

Dessers scored six goals in the Serie A last season as Cremonese finished second bottom and dropped into the second tier.

Speaking after the move was confirmed he praised the history of the club and revealed his delight that the deal was completed.

He said: “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.”

He has four caps for the Super Eagles and one international goal that came in a 2-1 defeat against Mexico in May last year.

It has been a busy pre-season for Rangers already as they look to build a team capable of challenging last season’s treble-winning Celtic for honours and make an impact in Europe.

Attacking midfielder Kieran Dowell, defender Dujon Sterling and former England goalkeeper Jack Butland all joined earlier in the window under freedom of contract.

Sam Lammers has arrived from Atalanta for a fee in the region of £3.5m, with Abdallah Sima finalising a season-long loan from Brighton on Thursday as the Gers seek a replacement for the departed Alfredo Morelos.

Ryan Kent has also moved on, as has Allan McGregor and Scott Arfield with Malik Tillman’s spell loan coming to an end adding to the need for new recruits.

Beale identified Dessers as a player who can complement the existing squad.

He said: “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.”