Pundit wowed by Rangers-linked attacker as Lionel Messi verdict dropped
Former Rangers midfielder Neil Murray has been wowed by Abdallah Sima as the Senegalese striker closes in on his move to Ibrox.
Sky Sports reported on 27 June that the 22-year-old is set to complete his loan move from Brighton and Hove Albion, with a deal to be concluded this week.
Murray has shared some of Sima’s strengths, with the striker’s dribbling catching the eye during his time in Ligue 1 with Angers.
“With successful dribbles in the attacking areas of the pitch, Simba is second in the entire Ligue 1. The only one who is above him on that front is Terem Moffi of Lorient,” said Murray (Daily Record, 28 June).
“You can take that one step further and look at successful dribbles in the final third, he is in the top five. Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi were first and second while Sima was third.
“Rangers may well be looking at Sima as the type of player who can be important for the group, as he can play in a variety of positions and can also play up front on his own.
“If you look at his heat map for Angers, he plays primarily as a central striker but he also does a lot of good work out wide. When you look at his stats he also puts in his fair share of crosses and creates chances for others.
“He was ranked 9th in Ligue One. So the stats show he is more of a creator than an out-and-out goalscorer.”
Exciting
Sima will be an exciting addition.
The 22-year-old enjoyed an impressive campaign in Ligue 1 and could take the Scottish Premiership by storm if he continues his good form.
Furthermore, there have been rumblings of a permanent option being included in the attacker’s contract, with Roberto De Zerbi yet to decide on whether he has a long-term future at The Amex.
Michael Beale has been reluctant to use the loan market. But, this move for Sima will see the Rangers boss change his stance. Perhaps, because there’s an outside chance of a permanent move, Beale thinks it’s worth the risk.
It’s important to remember the Gers have fallen foul of the loan market before. Malik Tillman’s agreement with Bayern Munich was cancelled, with the 21-year-old set to move on to bigger and better things next season.
Elsewhere, Beale is also looking to land another permanent striker, with Feyenoord’s Danilo and Cremonese’s Cyriel Dessers still being considered.
In other Rangers news, the club are now close to sealing another major signing after the announcement of Sam Lammers in their biggest acquisition of the summer window.