Abdallah Sima had Premier League interest before Rangers loan, will be crucial for Philippe Clement turnaround at Ibrox – Dean Jones
Rangers forward Abdallah Sima was being scouted by a few Premier League sides before his loan move to Ibrox and could well become a crucial “asset” for Philippe Clement’s turnaround at Ibrox, according to Dean Jones.
The former Eurosport journalist, speaking to GiveMeSport (25 October) believes the Brighton loanee can be “frustrating” at times due to his lack of ruthlessness in front of goal but as his confidence grows, Clement understands that he will be a “real asset” as he looks to turn the club’s fortunes around on the pitch.
Sima has proven a consistent source of goals for Rangers in recent weeks with his current overall tally of nine so far this season ranking him as the club’s top scorer and Jones believes his move to Ibrox was an “interesting deal” when former Michael Beale brought him over from the Seagulls.
Jones said: “The player that I like at Rangers if you can unlock his full potential, is Sima. He scored twice at the weekend. He’s a player that I watched before he got to Rangers. I know a few other Premier League clubs had been scouting him for a while, so I thought that was a really interesting deal when he signed for Rangers.
“He’s a striker who can be frustrating because he’s not always ruthless in his finishing, but I feel that that will change with the more confidence he builds.
“If Rangers can continue to get the best out of him and get players in and around him that open up spaces, he’ll be a real asset to them turning around this season. I’m sure Clement is already understanding of that. But one of the big things is that the signings they managed to get through the door must start producing what we know they’re capable of.”
Terrific acquisition
While the likes of Dessers, Sam Lammers and Danilo have grabbed the headlines for their lack of goals since their summer moves, Sima has somewhat flown under the radar and Beale certainly got one decision right before his sacking.
Against Hibernian, Sima was at his outstanding best, winning 100% of his aerial duels, winning a whopping 11 of his ground duels, successfully completing four dribbles and registering an impressive six tackles [SofaScore].
The 22-year-old’s speed, dynamism, aggression and cutting-edge in the final now make him a crucial and undroppable commodity in Clement’s team.
While there may be talk of him joining the Gers on a permanent basis very soon, The Scottish Sun reported on 24 October that there is no option to buy in his loan agreement with Brighton.
Such a report certainly means that Rangers could face a tough task keeping him for the long haul if his scintillating form stretches to the end of the current campaign.
Nine goals already make him a terrific loan acquisition so far and the Light Blues can certainly say they’re finally getting the best out of the forward, and long may it continue under Clement.
In other Rangers news, a highly-rated transfer guru has turned the club down following an approach.