AEK Athens to 'contact' Rangers AGAIN over Dessers transfer
Russell Martin yesterday revealed that the Ibrox club had rejected a bid from an unnamed club for last season's top goalscorer. It's believed that the offer was from AEK.
Now, according to renowned journalist Giannis Chorianopoulos, the European outfit - who have just signed James Penrice from Hearts - will look to make another bid.
He wrote on X: "AEK Athens will contact again Rangers for Cyriel Dessers.
"But Greek club are now considering some other striker options."
"Cyriel has just been injured," Martin said after Rangers' 2-2 draw with Club Brugge on Sunday. "He's had a bit of a niggly ankle, so he's here today.
"We turned down a bid a while ago for him that was nowhere near the valuation of the football club, and he's been great, he's desperate to train.
"We've had to give him some treatment this week on his, on his ankle since he's been back. But I'm looking forward to working with him.
"So, that's just nowhere near happening and hopefully, he will get on the training pitch this week, well, he will, and he'll start enjoying it.
"But he's not kicked up one moment of fuss. He seems a really good professional and from what everyone tells me here, he is."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South Wales Argus
an hour ago
- South Wales Argus
Wales have belief to cause upset against England, says Angharad James
Wales have the belief to cause an upset against defending European champions England in St. Gallen, according to captain Angharad James. Currently sitting bottom of Group D, Wales have yet to win a match at Euro 2025 having fallen to defeat against the Netherlands and France in their first major tournament. But as the Dragons face a crunch clash with rivals England, James believes her side can get one over the Lionesses and knock them out of the competition. 'The pressure is all on England. They have to come out, they have to perform and they're expected to win this game,' she explained. 'Within our group, we believe that we can upset a very top team. We've prepared as normal and we're ready for the fight tomorrow. 'There's no hiding behind the history of Wales vs England. Whatever sport you're playing in, it's a rivalry match and it's one that everyone wants to play in. 'As a group, we've come on so much since the first game and the second game was such a big improvement from us. We're looking to step it up again in this game.' Having lost 3-0 to the Netherlands in the opening match, Wales made history in the second game through 38-year-old Jess Fishlock. The Dragons legend latched onto Ceri Holland's pass at the back post to turn home the first major international tournament goal in Wales' history. It saw them equalise against France in the 13th minute but Les Bleues went on to win 4-1. 'Moments win or lose you games,' reflected James. 'We've been so close to those moments. Looking at the game it's 4-1 against France, but it wasn't a 4-1 game if you watch the game. 'Those small margins are what we need to work towards as a group and we're prepared to have those honest and hard conversations to make sure that we keep improving and keep moving in the right direction.' The Wales squad have been turning to history in search of those small moments. In 2018, the national team held England to a 0-0 draw at St. Mary's Stadium in Southampton, leaving Jayne Ludlow to hail it the greatest performance in their history at the time. Ten members of the current squad were involved in that performance and have been drawing inspiration from the embattled display in the hopes of pulling off a result of an even greater magnitude. 'You don't forget when you get a result against England, that's for sure,' said James. 'We've spoken about it and a lot of time has gone on since then and new players have come into the squad. 'We've got a nice mixture of younger players, more experienced players and there's a really nice blend within the group.' Just as back then, midfielder James is expecting another physical contest against an England side who need a win to ensure their progression to the Euro 2025 quarter-finals. 'As soon as this group got announced, we knew they were going to be three tough games, three very competitive games and three games that, as a midfielder, you love to play in,' she said. 'This group has come very far the last few games and we're looking to step it up again against England. 'The rivalry, the history behind Wales-England, whether it's football, rugby, whatever, we're ready for the fight. 'We'll be preparing the best we can in the next 24 hours to bring all of that.'
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Rangers face competition from English Premier League side for £10m-rated winger as race hots up to sign 22-year-old
He played 36 times last season scoring seven goals and making two assists. RUN FOR YOUR MONEY Rangers face competition from English Premier League side for £10m-rated winger as race hots up to sign 22-year-old A English Premier League side has joined the race to sign Rangers target Jesurun Rak-Sakyi. Gers boss Russell Martin wants the 22-year-old on a loan deal from Crystal Palace after baulking at the £10million price. Advertisement 3 Rak-Sakyi scored in pre-season for Crystal Palace Credit: Getty 3 He was on loan Sheffield United last season Credit: Getty 3 Rak-Sakyi is attracting interest from other clubs Credit: Getty Rak-Sakyi is being chased by a number of clubs following an impressive loan spell at Sheffield United last season. He played 36 times last season scoring seven goals and making two assists. And the former Chelsea youth player has hit the ground running in pre-season, netting in Crystal Palace's 1-0 win over Millwall on Saturday in a closed doors friendly. Now Premier League side Wolves will challenge Rangers for the winger. Advertisement The Molineux outfit have the cash to replace Matheus Cunha after his £62m Manchester United summer switch. Meanwhile, Rangers have already brought in six new faces including Lyall Cameron, Max Aarons, Joe Rothwell, Emmanuel Fernandez, Thelo Aasgaard and Nasser Djiga. And they're on the verge of landing a seventh in the form Sheffield Wednesday winger Djeidi Gassama after a delay in finalising paperwork from the English Championship club. Boss Martin has previously said: "With Djeidi I think it's all done at our end. Advertisement 'I think with Sheffield Wednesday and the difficulties they are experiencing, it is tough for them. 'So we're waiting on their end to be sorted, but I think we fully expect Gas to be our player, hopefully very soon. Rangers boss Russell Martin opens up on transfer plans as he delivers updates on Dessers and Igamane 'He's different from what we've got. I think we need a point of difference in the squad. "We need a few and he'll be one of them, hopefully.' Advertisement Rangers completed their five-day training camp at St George's Park - the home of the England international team - with a 1-1 draw with Barnsley. They're expected to hold more closed door friendlies ahead of their huge Champions League qualifier against Panathinaikos in less than two weeks. Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
NBC News
2 hours ago
- NBC News
Club World Cup: Will Chelsea or Paris Saint-Germain take home the trophy?
The FIFA Club World Cup final takes place at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Sunday as reigning European champions Paris Saint-Germain face a resurgent Chelsea, with these two young teams showcasing the future of the game. Both will be chasing not only the Club World Cup trophy and the glory of being named the best club on the planet, but also the extra $10 million prize money the winner will receive to take their minimum earnings from this tournament to just under $100 million. Even for these superwealthy teams, every little bit helps. Here are some key storylines to focus on ahead of the final, as Luis Enrique's PSG is the clear favorite over Enzo Maresca's Chelsea. Engrossing midfield battle awaits PSG has the best midfield in the world. Fabian Ruiz, João Neves and Vitinha are cohesive, press in a pack and, when they win it back, are very good at keeping the ball and keeping the pressure on. Chelsea has Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez, a combative duo adept at breaking up the rhythm and flow of an opposition's midfielders — but there are only two of them against PSG's whirling dervish of a midfield. PSG's midfield trio makes it tick and sets off everything else. However, if it doesn't win the ball back quickly enough, then the three attackers of Ousmane Dembele, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Desire Doue can't stay high and be a constant threat to Chelsea's defense, and they become more isolated despite their incredible work rate. Chelsea's Caicedo has been in sensational form for some time and will relish his role as the chief disruptor. PSG will do its best to try and smother Fernandez. It will be intriguing to see if Maresca starts with another more defensive midfielder to match up with PSG's trio, or sticks with his fluid 4-2-3-1 system and asks Cole Palmer to drop deeper from his No. 10 role to occupy one of PSG's midfielders and impact its incredible rhythm. Adding extra intrigue to this area of the pitch is the fact that both PSG and Chelsea love to invert their full-backs, with Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes often popping up in midfield and central areas, and Chelsea's Marc Cucurella and Malo Gusto or Reece James doing the same thing. That makes a crucial area of the pitch even more clogged and unpredictable. Bring on the chaos. Will Ousmane Dembele or João Pedro be the goal-scoring hero? Both teams have received a big boost during this tournament: the arrival of attackers who can be clinical and provide a crucial cutting edge. Ousmane Dembele returned from injury during the knockout rounds and has made a huge difference. His manager is calling for him to win the Ballon d'Or (the award handed to the best player on the planet) as Dembele's goals, assists, movement and pressing sum up everything great about this PSG side. But Chelsea received its own massive confidence boost with the signing of João Pedro, who has made a huge impact right away. The Brazilian international came off the bench in his debut and played a big role in Chelsea beating Palmeiras in the quarterfinal. Then, in his first start, he scored two beauties against his boyhood club Fluminense to send Chelsea to this final. João Pedro had recently been on the beach relaxing, enjoying his offseason break. Yet just days after signing with Chelsea, he looks set to lead its attack in the FIFA Club World Cup final. Both PSG and Chelsea get goals from all over their attacking lines, but having Dembele back and João Pedro on board now gives them both a dynamic, clinical spearhead to their attack. Of course, Kvaratskhelia and Palmer are mercurial talents for PSG and Chelsea, respectively, and can win any game in a split second with a majestic run, dazzling finish or clever flick. But Ousmane, Dembele and João Pedro provide the driving runs and hold-up play to knit everything together, and they have that crucial ruthlessness in front of the goal. Chelsea may have the deeper squad After a grueling six-game run to get to the Club World Cup final after an even more exhausting 10-month 2024-25 season that has seen both teams play more than 60 games, this final will likely be decided by which team uses its bench and squad better. And Chelsea has the deeper team with more options, especially in attack. PSG's starting lineup is very settled, and off the bench it usually brings in Bradley Barcola to have an impact. After that, it has some talented young midfielders and striker Goncalo Ramos to play cameo roles. Chelsea has an entire attacking unit full of international stars it can bring on to change things and try to turn the game in its favor. Liam Delap, Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke would start for plenty of big clubs but will likely be available off the bench in the second half. Captain Reece James could start on the bench too but may be crucial as a hybrid midfielder/full-back as both he and Andrey Santos could come on to give Chelsea an extra boost when it needs it most. Chelsea will aim to keep it tight and stop PSG from dominating the tempo of the game, then look to its bench to see who can provide that extra little spark that could crown it the champion of the world.
