There was a moment in the season when Rangers signing Abdallah Sima seemed like a no-brainer.
The Brighton loanee was one of the only signings in a £21m summer revamp who had proved his worth at Ibrox, netting 15 goals before the turn of the year.
An explosive forward who shows a ruthless streak in front of goal whenever he gets into his groove, Abdallah Sima is a top talent and maybe would’ve fired us to further glory had injury not struck this season.
But as a result of that troublesome injury, Sima’s recall to the Senegal set-up ending in tears in January, the second half of the campaign has cast doubts over an expensive summer move.
Now, Philippe Clement himself has cast some shade over a deal despite confirming that negotiations with parent club Brighton are ongoing.
With the price for the forward yet to be determined – Sima costing Brighton over £6m when he joined from Slavia Prague in 2021 – Rangers are weighing up the risk.
Rangers locked in Sima talks
Speaking ahead of the weekend’s 3-3 Scottish Premiership draw with Hearts, Rangers manager Philippe Clement was asked about Abdallah Sima.
In a blunt response, the Ibrox gaffer suggested that the club were interested in a permanent deal but that the ball largely rests in Brighton’s court.
This comes after sources told Rangers News that the south coast Premier League outfit are prepared to part ways with the forward this summer.
It’s also clear that the player’s future has not been decided one way or the other.
“That is about us, him and Brighton,” said Clement. “We were really happy with what he showed.
“We see him as somebody with potential to grow, he is very happy in this building.
“There is a club that is his owner so you need to find an agreement so we will see what is going to happen there.
“You don’t know what way that will go. It depends what their demands are and what we can pay. It is always like that.”
Rangers have to spend transfer budget wisely
With Brighton set to reassess the situation of Abdallah Sima come the end of the season, Rangers could well be left wanting come the start of a crucial transfer window.
There really is no time to waste as Rangers manager Philippe Clement looks to build a squad capable of qualifying for the Champions League early on in the season.
Given the expected turnover of players, that will be no mean feat.
With Brighton holding all the aces when it comes to Abdallah Sima, and the Premier League side not exactly famed for selling on the cheap, the situation could hamstring Rangers in the weeks ahead.
The issue is that as Rangers look to spend wisely across their squad, the club might need those Champions League millions to strike a deal for Sima.
But by the same token, without the quality the forward brings getting into Europe’s revamped elite competition won’t exactly be easy.
Couple this with the player’s recent fitness issues and suddenly a transfer looks increasingly like a mega risk at a crucial juncture for everyone at Rangers.
But will it be one the club takes?
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