Rangers must make ‘eye-catching’ Abdallah Sima loan move permanent after prolific start
Rangers must do everything in their power to keep Abdallah Sima at the club after his excellent start to life at Ibrox.
Many of the permanent summer signings have struggled to justify their price tags in the opening weeks of the season. Despite some flashes of quality, the likes of Cyriel Dessers, Sam Lammers and Jose Cifuentes have done little to improve the Gers side from last season.
Michael Beale’s best signing this summer is the only temporary addition, with Brighton loanee Sima proving his worth despite not being a regular starter.
Beale is yet to find his best starting XI this season, with many new additions coming in and out of the side and struggling to build momentum. Danilo’s injury has seen his impact disappear, while Dessers is yet to prove he is the dependable goal scorer Rangers thought they’d signed.
The boss himself has been left impressed by Sima, saying, as quoted by the Daily Record (29 September), that the young forward has been “eye-catching” in recent performances.
Sima has been quietly but assuredly providing big moments for the Gers. He has scored important goals, including the opener in Rangers’ League Cup quarter-final against Livingston on Wednesday (27 September), while his strike in their 1-0 Europa League victory over Real Betis secured them a surprise three points.
However, Beale is yet to give him a string of starts, with the Senegal international making the starting lineup in just six of Rangers’ 13 fixtures this season.
Sima is a consistent threat on goal when he is on the field. Per FBRef, the 22-year-old fires 2.14 shots on target per 90 in the league, second in the whole squad behind just Danilo, despite playing just 2.8 90s so far.
Beale can also utilise Sima in multiple positions and he has proved his worth in each. Per Transfermarkt, the former Stoke City loanee has played at right and left wing, centre-forward and as a right midfielder this season. Such versatility is invaluable for a club like Rangers with plenty of fixtures to contend with during the season.
But would Brighton be willing to depart with one of their emerging stars? Possibly. Sima has yet to play a single competitive minute for the Seagulls, with loans to the English Championship and Ligue 1 as his primary taste of senior football.
Brighton are also a team on the rise. With their first-ever season of European football and currently flying high in the Premier League in a Champions League spot, they could have the funds to buy an upgrade on Sima, while their current options including Evan Ferguson and Joao Pedro would likely be preferred to the loanee.
Sima himself may be keen to find himself a permanent home, so fee dependant, Rangers should do what it takes to bring him to Ibrox indefinitely. They say never to fall in love with a loan player, but hopefully, the Ibrox faithful will see more of Sima after this summer.
In other Rangers news, Stephen Craigan impressed by a ‘sensational’ forward after what he did against Livingston.