Rangers could be about to pull off another piece of transfer business, with The Mail + reporting that Abdallah Sima is closing in on a deal that will see him move to Ibrox on loan and join up with Michael Beale.
How many goals did Abdallah Sima score this season?
The 22-year-old currently plays his football for Brighton but has actually yet to make a first-team appearance for the club in the Premier League. Instead, the centre-forward has had to make do with loan spells to get game time and that involved him being shipped out to Angers in the 2022/23 campaign.
He was a regular feature there for the Ligue 1 outfit and made 37 appearances in all competitions, scoring six times and registering two assists. However, it marked his best season for goal contributions since he was a 19-year-old with Slavia Prague.
Prior to his spell in France, he also spent some time with Stoke in the Championship. However, he featured much less prominently for the Potters and came on only twice for the club in the second tier. He only ever had one league start for them and actually featured more for their reserve team. It appears as though he will now be allowed to leave on a short-term basis again – and this time, it seems he will be trying his luck in Scotland for the first time.
Are Rangers signing Abdallah Sima?
That's because according to a report from The Mail+'s Graeme Croser, Scottish Premiership side Rangers are the frontrunners to add Sima on a loan deal for the upcoming campaign. They expect to potentially get a deal over the line as soon as next week, and it means that they could soon have another forward to choose from for their pre-season schedule, with Beale a fan after first watching the player back in 2021.
The giant attacker – who stands at 6ft 2 – may not have hit double digits since his teen years, but it's stated that the Gers feel they can get him firing. Whilst his goal stats don't look favourable when compared to others in his position, he does have one of the best tackling rates for a forward with 1.08 per 90 (88th percentile) and a solid progressive carries rate of 1.86 (72nd percentile). [FBref]
It shows that Sima is a hard worker, who isn't afraid to press and get stuck into a tackle and then can take the ball forward with an ability that is above average compared to others. If he can just add a finishing touch, he could be a solid addition for Rangers if they do seal a loan deal for the Brighton player, possibly making him the club's fifth addition of the summer already.