‘Perverse’ boost for Rangers to sign Abdallah Sima from Brighton permanently mooted as fan calls rise after Hibs thrashing
Abdallah Sima’s recent form has got fans calling for Rangers to get him signed permanently yet it is his failings which may “perversely” help them do so, according to Michael Grant.
The Times journalist noted on the paper’s website on 23 October, after the on-loan Brighton forward scored twice in Philippe Clement’s first game to beat Hibs 4-0, that the 22-year-old is “head and shoulders above” the rest of the outfield signings at Ibrox this season.
Sima now has nine goals for Rangers in all competitions, and while “confidence has surged through him” after the goals he is still seen as “inconsistent and unpredictable”, but his weaker points are tipped to help the club hold onto him if the Seagulls deem him unsuitable for the Premier League, with Gers fans expected to push for him to stay if so.
Grant writes: “Confidence has surged through him after all those early goals. That he is inconsistent and unpredictable, too often giving the ball away or hitting poor passes, might perversely work in Rangers’ favour should they wish to sign him permanently.
“He is Brighton’s player and halfway through his contract yet they have continually loaned him out. If they suspect he will not reach top-flight standard in England, and he continues to deliver at Rangers, supporters will press the Ibrox board to find the money to sign him properly.”
Shining example
Sima hasn’t been perfect so far but, on top of the increasingly-regular impact on the score sheet, he stood out as one of very few still giving something like maximum effort amid the doomed final weeks of the Michael Beale reign.
The club lost another player this summer for whom the description “even he is not quite sure what will happen next when he gets the ball” was fitting in Fashion Sakala, who often divided opinion but his absence has been keenly felt.
While the Zambian and the Senegalese aren’t the same player by any means it is a small mercy that Sima has managed to pick up some of the slack caused by the summer overhaul that left the attack looking far more pedestrian than it had been last term.
It is true that, similar to Malik Tillman last season, if Sima performs too well he will either be wanted back at the Amex or become a target for a club in a bigger league elsewhere.
So while Clement and the fans will be thankful for his crucial form during a difficult period it could push him out of the club’s reach if it remains consistent.
On early evidence few would argue against keeping him around in favour of Sam Lammers or Cyriel Dessers, but whether it will be possible in the summer remains to be seen.
For now, Jack Butland aside, he is rapidly emerging as one of the few recruitment decisions Beale got right over the summer and looks set to be key to Clement’s new era.
In other Rangers news, Jim White has learned at that a major Gers figure is set to “get his way” with “influence behind the scenes”.