Glasgow Rangers are closing in a move for Abdallah Sima as Michael Beale edges closer to recruiting another forward ahead of next season.
What’s the latest on Abdallah Sima to Rangers?
According to Football Insider, the Light Blues are in advanced talks with the Brighton and Hove Albion forward ahead of a potential move to Ibrox this summer, with a season-long loan deal close to being agreed.
With Beale losing Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos at the end of the season, the onus is to add another few forward options before the season begins and Sima fits the bill due to his ability to either play through the middle, or on both flanks, and it could certainly be a risk-free move.
Could Abdallah Sima improve Rangers?
If Beale can get the Senegal international to replicate the form he displayed during his spell with Slavia Prague in 2020/21, then Rangers will have an exciting talent ready to dominate opposition defences in the Premiership next term.
The 22-year-old burst onto the scene during that campaign, scoring 16 goals and registering eight assists across all competitions, while he even terrorised the Light Blues during the Europa League last 16 clash against the Czech side in March 2021.
Sima may not have scored across the two legs, yet he was a constant menace for the Gers’ defence, succeeding with six successful dribbles and making three key passes across the two legs, causing chaos for the likes of Connor Goldson and Borna Barisic during the tie.
These performances led to a move to Brighton in the summer of 2021 for a fee of around £7m before he was loaned to Stoke City, where he failed to score while playing just 123 minutes of senior football.
The former Slavia Prague youngster is valued at €12.4m (£11m) according to FootballTransfers, and although he enjoyed a slightly more productive season with Angers in 2022/2023, scoring six goals and grabbing two assists, Beale will be hoping to transform him once he arrives in Scotland.
Once lauded as a “fantastic prospect” by talent scout Jacek Kulig during his excellent season for the Czech outfit, his stock has fallen in the previous few years, yet a loan move could be a stroke of genius by the 42-year-old, giving Rangers another attacking option.
Indeed, Sima actually had more shots on target per game than Morelos last term (1.1 to one) and also missed fewer big chances (eight to 13), suggesting that he was slightly more clinical in front of goal.
Overall, it’s surely a low-risk move by the Ibrox side and gives Beale another string to his attacking bow as he looks to get his side firing right from the get-go next term.