Fashion Sakala ‘pressure’ verdict shared as Alfredo Morelos and Ryan Kent exit Rangers
Rangers star Fashion Sakala is under “great pressure’ to perform amid the exits of Alfredo Morelos and Ryan Kent, according to WhoScored’s Ben McAleer.
The attacker scored 12 goals from his 29 Scottish Premiership appearances this season.
Morelos and Kent are one of five players to be moving on upon the expiry of their contracts, alongside Allan McGregor, Scott Arfield and Filip Helander.
Sakala, who joined the club in 2021, is contracted at Ibrox until 2025.
“With Alfredo Morelos and Ryan Kent both departing the club this summer, there will be greater pressure on Sakala to perform consistently,” McAleer wrote for Sky Sports.
Big season ahead
Sakala came alive in the latter stages of the campaign, with the striker netting four goals in the five post-split matches.
That is exactly the kind of form that manager Michael Beale wants to see from his attackers, particularly given how the club have once again relied heavily on goals from right-back and captain James Tavernier.
It’s really not acceptable that the defender finished the season as the club’s top goal scorer in all competitions with 17 goals, as per BBC Sport.
Sakala was five goals behind him, with the Zambia international definitely needing to improve his tally next time out if he is to have any hope of persuading manager Beale that he is worthy of a regular starting place for the Ibrox outfit.
The boss will definitely look to bolster his attacking options this summer given the exits of Morelos and Kent, but Sakala has seemingly done enough in the final few matches of the season to put his name in the hat for more minutes in the final third under Beale.
In other Rangers news, official partner Heart & Hand Podcast has shared a two-word reaction to a brand new Ibrox signing.