Glasgow Rangers will need to add more players to their current squad if Philippe Clement aims to add to the League Cup trophy that the Gers won prior to Christmas.
With European knockout football to come from March, plus Scottish Cup and Premiership titles to chase, the Ibrox side could face fixture congestion during the second half of the season.
Judging by the injury crisis which engulfed the squad in the weeks prior to Christmas, Clement will be keen on making sure he has enough reinforcements across all areas of his first team squad to handle the games ahead.
With this in mind, a new name has been linked with a move to Glasgow, as Michy Batshuayi has emerged as a shock contender to join the club this month.
Rangers transfer news – Michy Batshuayi
Danilo is currently out injured and will miss the next few months, while Cyriel Dessers hasn’t exactly been in clinical form since joining in the summer and this could prompt Clement to add to his forward options.
Fabio Silva has already made the move north of the border, signing a short-term loan deal from Wolverhampton Wanderers, and he will hope to hit the ground running at Ibrox.
One new striker won't be enough and according to the Scottish Sun, the Light Blues have been linked with a surprising move for Batshuayi, as the former Chelsea gem is in line to arrive on a short-term deal.
The 30-year-old has failed to agree a new deal with Turkish side Fenerbahçe, thus meaning he is on his way out of the club and this can play right into the hands of Rangers, who are ready to swoop.
Indeed, it appears as though the Gers are leading the chase for the Belgian gem and crucial talks are expected in the coming hours, as per the report.
Everton are also keen on securing the services of the player but the allure of European nights at Ibrox and the chance to win trophies looks like the trump card for the 49-year-old manager to entice Batshuayi to Scotland.
Although he may not have lived up to his prestigious talents, the striker could certainly be a big upgrade on Dessers during the second half of the season, no doubt about that.
Cyriel Dessers’ season in numbers
The Nigerian striker didn’t come cheap, costing former boss Michael Beale £4.5m from Serie A side Cremonese last summer, yet he has failed to live up to that lavish fee.
Dessers had played 30 games for the club prior to the winter break, but he scored just nine goals during that time period, hardly prolific by any stretch of the imagination.
The 29-year-old may rank second in the squad for shots on target per game (1.4) and third for goals (six) in the league, but the forward also ranks first for big chances missed (11) and it is clear this is where big improvements are required.
With the club chasing glory on three fronts in the second half of the season, they simply cannot afford to be wasting chances in the final third and more often than not, Dessers misses key opportunities.
One key example was against Celtic in the Old Firm derby at the end of 2023. The striker effectively pressed the Celtic defence and had the perfect opportunity to score as he was one-on-one with Joe Hart.
Dessers eventually took too many touches, and he couldn’t even get a shot away at goal, thus ruining the big chance he created.
Adding Batshuayi to his squad could give Clement the licence to drop Dessers to the bench and therefore improve the quality of his attacking options in the process.
Clement must now ditch Rangers star who won just 3 duels vs Celtic
Rangers face Kilmarnock this afternoon in their final clash before the winter break
ByRoss Kilvington Michy Batshuayi’s career statistics
The 6 foot 1 machine started his career at Standard Liege in his homeland, scoring 44 goals in 120 matches before sealing a move to French giants Marseille in 2014, and it looked as though he could follow in the footsteps of his compatriot Romelu Lukaku.
Another goal-laden spell followed in Ligue 1 and 17 goals in the French top flight during the 2015/16 campaign meant he was on the move yet again, this time to Chelsea.
In what should have been a move that elevated him to being a better player, the striker couldn’t quite secure consistent football in the starting XI for the Blues.
120
44
78
33
77
25
53
28
42
14
33
8
23
3
14
9
He did score the goal which secured them the Premier League title in his maiden season, yet Batshuayi managed just 23 goals before joining Borussia Dortmund on loan for the second half of the 2017/18 season.
Journalist Josh Bunting praised him following his debut for the German side, describing him as "absolutely deadly in front of goal.”
Since 2018, his career has been of the nomadic variety, playing for no less than six clubs, and his current spell at Fenerbahçe has been his longest since leaving Chelsea.
Batshuayi's season by numbers
The former Dortmund gem may have only featured for 867 minutes this season, but he has scored eight goals during that time. Dessers, on the other hand, has taken 1,834 minutes to score just nine goals, clearly demonstrating who has made the better use of their time on the pitch.
Batshuayi has also missed fewer big chances (four vs 11) than Dessers, along with losing possession less often (3.2 vs 8.2) and having a better goal conversion rate (21% vs 12%) and these stats suggest that the Belgian could be an upgrade on the current Rangers forward.
The 30-year-old would arrive in Glasgow fresh for a new challenge and considering his lack of action this season so far, he could peak during the second half of 2023/24, just when Clement would need him most.
Making a move for the Fenerbahçe machine is a no-brainer for the Ibrox side, especially with his stature within the game and if he hits the ground running, he could add plenty of goals to what is, at times, a lacklustre attack.
The next couple of days will be crucial, and the onus is now on the former AS Monaco coach to entice Batshuayi to Scotland.