Dessers rejects Feyenoord, as promoted Nottingham Forest, 5 others, table offer

Cyriel Dessers, the golden boot winner of the inaugural UEFA Conference League, is garnering interest from top clubs across Europe following his heroics in the just concluded 2021/22 season. 

As exclusively reported some days back, Cyriel Dessers has told Genk he would be leaving the club this summer as his market value hits an all-time high. However, despite scoring 20 key goals and assisting six as Feyenoord advanced to the Europa Conference League final, Dessers appears to have outgrown the grasp of the Dutch club. 

The 27-year-old was open to remaining in the Rotterdam club and Feyenoord were ready to activate his 4 million buyout clause, but his salary demands proved too great for the financially constrained club. Now ZonalSports have exclusively gathered that Cyriel Dessers requested that Feyenoord match the salary package offered him by the large plethora of clubs interested, a call which proved too tall for De Stadionclu. 

The striker who scored his first career national goal over the weekend in Nigeria's 2-1 loss to Mexico currently earns €22,040 per week, making him one of Feyenoord's highest earner, and although this wage is very significant for a club of the stature of De Trots van Zuid, it is very modest in line with the ilk of clubs interested in Dessers. 

One of those clubs is newly promoted Nottingham Forest, who have had Dessers on their radar for a while. Now the Premier League's newest boys have taken concrete action by approaching Dessers, as they bid to strengthen their attack ahead of a tough teething stage after four decades out of the big time. 

However they are not alone, as ZonalSports understands that up to 5 other unnamed clubs have made formal inquiries to the Genk board on the availability and total financial package to finalise a deal. 

 Why is Dessers leaving Feyenoord?

Feyenoord pledged to construct the squad around Cyriel Dessers, one of Nigeria's best footballers in 2022, if he remained with the club, but the agreement was too complex for the Rotterdammers to proceed with.

The transfer cost was not the largest problem for Feyenoord, but the striker's wage would prove to be the most difficult one. Therefore, the purchase option, valid till June 1st, could not be exercised.

ZonalSports understand that the overall investment would have exceeded 10 million euros, a fee too great for Feyenoord.

 In the half-knowledge that Dessers' status would soar, the club postponed contract negotiations with him until the conclusion of the season. This, ZonalSports understands, was the club's worst mistake.

This portal has learned that by the time the club were prepared to put pen to paper, the player had already been approached by numerous foreign clubs.

Frank Arnesen, the technical director of Feyenoord, also acknowledged that it was unlikely that both sides would reach an agreement, effectively closing the account of Dessers at Feyenoor, who will now re-join KRC Genk.

The striker still has two years remaining on his contract with the Belgian club, but has notified his former club to consider any offers while he is on international duty with Nigeria in the United States.