Rangers could sign off on perfect Fashion Sakala partnership with Abdallah Sima as transfer news emerges
Brighton forward Abdallah Sima has now rocketed to the top of the Rangers transfer wishlist this summer, and the Gers could well be cooking up an exciting attacking partnership next season.
The Gers have been linked with a loan move for the attacker in recent days, who spent last season with Angers in Ligue 1, as Michael Beale looks to increase his attacking options in the wake of Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos’ exits.
The Scottish Sun reported on 25 June that Rangers are “confident” that they can complete the signing of Sima from Brighton “this week”, with Football Scotland [26 June] claiming that the Gers are now in advanced talks for the out-of-favour forward.
According to the Daily Record newspaper [27 June, page 48], Sima’s “pace, power and magic to beat his man one-one” has seen him shoot up to the top of Beale’s summer wishlist and Sky Sports News have now revealed [28 June], that Rangers have agreed a deal with Brighton for Sima’s services on loan, with the player set to undergo a medical.
In a tweet shared by The Herald [27 June], Chris Jack profiled the promising young winger and believes he can form a crucial component in Beale’s attack.
Indeed, with Beale desperate to boost his attacking weaponry in order to fully challenge Old Firm rivals Celtic ahead of the 23/24 campaign, signing Sima simply has to become a priority right now given his unique qualities and characteristics, which Jack points out in his article.
The 22-year-old could prove just the tonic Rangers need especially in Kent’s absence – a player blessed with excellent pace, trickery, one on one dribbling up against opposing defenders and also possessing the capabilities to operate in various positions across the attacking line, including the striker position – just like an Ibrox favourite in Fashion Sakala.
The Zambian international will certainly be searching for an attacking partner to wreak havoc with last season, especially following the departures of Kent and Morelos.
Sakala was in spell-binding form throughout last campaign, finishing the season with a stunning 12 goals and seven assists and if Rangers are to challenge on all fronts next season, Beale will need more attacking components capable of reaching double figures in goals and assists.
Sima certainly possesses those capabilities, more crucially he could well form a “Magic” partnership with Sakala that plenty of their rivals next season will be running scared of.
Like Sakala, Sima’s electricity, directness and unpredictability in the final third, evidenced by Sakala’s 1.5 key passes per game and seven big chances created last term [SofaScore] and Sima’s 0.5 key passes and four big chances in a struggling Angers side last season [SofaScore], which could prove absolutely vital to how Beale wants to play next season.
Both players possess the ability to both score and create goals, hence Rangers’ desire to sign two new strikers this summer – strikers capable of hanging inside the six-yard box and feeding off the electricity and creativity of both Sakala and Sima on either flank.
Sima may be seen as an unknown quantity to Rangers fans but that’s a great thing as Beale can certainly unlock an emerging secret weapon in his arsenal and the Senegalese attacker holds all the capabilities to become an instant hit at Ibrox.
Sima’s career was somewhat stalled after his move to the Seagulls when a loan with Stoke was cut short by injury, but five league goals and two assists in 34 Ligue 1 appearances last term for Angers appears to have got his career back on track.
If he can replicate that amazing 2020/21 campaign where he hit an astonishing 20 goals and registered eight assists in all competitions during his loan spell at Slavia Prague then the Gers are well on course to challenge on all fronts next season.
Rangers may well have stumbled upon an unstoppable attacking partner for their Zambian wonder to feed off next season.
In other Rangers news, one exit-linked first-team ace has revealed his plans for the transfer window after crying on his way into the club.