By Oluwadamilola Olaleye
Nigeria striker Cyriel Dessers is close to joining Greek giants AEK Athens after reportedly agreeing to a £30,000-per-week contract, pending final agreement on a transfer fee with Rangers FC.
According to Daily Record, Dessers has verbally agreed to personal terms that would see him earn approximately €1.8 million annually with the former Greek Super League champions.
AEK Athens are now in talks with Rangers to finalize the deal, with the Scottish club said to be open to a sale.
Dessers, 30, joined Rangers in 2023 from Serie A side Cremonese for £4.5 million.
Since his arrival, he has registered 51 goals across two seasons and played a key role in Rangers’ run to the UEFA Europa League quarterfinals.
Despite his goal tally, the Nigerian international has endured mixed reviews from supporters and periods of inconsistent form during his time in Glasgow.
Should the transfer be completed, it would mark a new chapter in Dessers’ career as he seeks a fresh start in the Greek top flight.
The final decision now hinges on whether both clubs can agree on a suitable transfer fee.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
