Rangers attacker Fashion Sakala too expensive for Burnley as maximum budget emerges
Rangers attacker Fashion Sakala won’t be going to Burnley after they decided to move onto a new target, according to The Athletic.
The English Championship side were looking to add a player with speed and dribbling ability but never got to the point of direct discussions with the Light Blues because it became clear they couldn’t afford the Zambian.
Vincent Kompany’s side were reportedly prepared to offer up to £4million for him which wasn’t capable of changing the position at Ibrox after initial enquiries over his availability.
With new attacking arrivals in the form of Antonio Colak, Rabbi Matondo, Tom Lawrence and Malik Tillman, the 25-year-old’s game-time looks like being affected and his future has been called into question.
He scored 13 times in his debut season at Ibrox but should now have the opportunity to add more as Burnley are set to secure a loan deal for Southampton’s Nathan Tella instead.
Sakala is yet to feature for Giovanni van Bronckhorst this season but will remain a part of the Dutchman’s squad.
Overlooked
The summer signings have added a new dimension to this squad and Sakala’s unfortunately-timed recent injury have understandably raised doubts as to whether there is still space for him.
He can be inconsistent but he certainly possesses a cutting edge at times when the team’s play has otherwise gone stale.
It definitely would be premature at this stage to move on from him when his goal output and overall play last season suggested there is plenty to work with there.
More time in Glasgow would logically suggest a better-settled and productive player the longer he stays, so it would be no surprise to see him make some telling contributions still this season.
It hasn’t quite clicked into gear for the Gers overall yet, although the 3-0 win over Union Saint-Gilloise showed some encouraging signs, but there is plenty to be excited about going forward this year.
Scott Wright saw very sparse action for a large period last year before becoming central due to injuries late on, so even if Sakala isn’t featuring much now, he easily could over the coming months.
In other Rangers news, Simon Jordan argued the case for Scottish football live on talkSPORT against £500million-a-year turnovers in Europe.