Rangers could ‘unlock potential’ of Abdallah Sima

GiveMeSport

·24 October 2023

Rangers could ‘unlock potential’ of Abdallah Sima

Rangers loan star Abdallah Sima can potentially be a “real asset” for the Gers at Ibrox this season, as transfer insider Dean Jones provides GIVEMESPORT with an intriguing transfer update regarding the forward.

Philippe Clement hopes to turn the Glasgow giants’ fortunes around following his recent arrival in Scotland, having already made a positive start to life in the dugout.

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Rangers hope to close the gap to the summit of the Scottish Premiership whilst progressing further in Europe. The Gers made significant changes to the squad during the summer transfer window and must start seeing returns on their investments.

At the end of June, Rangers confirmed the signing of Sima on a season-long loan from Premier League outfit Brighton & Hove Albion. The 22-year-old signed for Brighton & Hove Albion for £7m from Slavia Prague, having played against the Gers twice in the Europa League in 2021 for the Czech Republic giants.

However, Sima has yet to appear for the Seagulls, having spent the season on loan at Ligue 1 outfit Angers last term. The two-capped Senegalese star bagged six goals and registered two assists in 37 appearances for the French outfit, attracting Rangers to his services during the summer.

Upon his arrival, Jones backed the Brighton loanee to shine in an interview with GIVEMESPORT. Sima has recently hit an inspired patch of form and hopes to continue that development under Clement, who took charge of his first game in the Ibrox dugout last weekend.

On Saturday, Rangers secured a 4-0 Scottish Premiership victory over Hibernian. Sima grabbed a brace as the Glasgow giants comfortably dispatched their Edinburgh counterparts ahead of Thursday's Europa League trip to Sparta Prague. Celtic’s 4-1 victory over Hearts means the Gers must overcome a seven-point gap to overtake their fierce rivals at the top of the Premiership table. However, Clement will be heartened by his positive start and aims to eat into the Hoops’ lead over the coming weeks.

Dean Jones update – Abdallah Sima

Jones is excited to see what Sima can produce if he unlocks his full potential and backs Clement to gauge how important he can be to his Ranger side. The journalist also claims that there was Premier League interest in the forward’s signature before moving to Ibrox this summer. Jones told GIVEMESPORT:

“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.”

Rangers transfer news

Unfortunately for Clement, recent transfer speculation has been far from helpful in the early stages of his reign at Ibrox. According to The Sun, Birmingham City head coach Wayne Rooney is interested in signing goalkeeper Jack Butland, who has been the first-choice option in Glasgow.

The same report says the 30-year-old stopper would push for a move to St. Andrew’s if an offer for his services arrived during the winter transfer window in the new year. Jones has recently told GIVEMESPORT that questions over Butland’s future are far from ideal at Ibrox and suggests the ‘keeper must be clear on Clement’s vision upon his arrival in Scotland.

Rangers’ upcoming fixtures

Sima hopes to continue his excellent form into Thursday’s Europa League group stage clash at Sparta Prague, where Rangers must recover from their 2-1 defeat at Aris Limassol last time out. The Gers then welcome Hearts to Ibrox on Sunday afternoon, hoping to build on their victory over Hibernian last weekend. Clement’s first Premiership away trip awaits on the evening of the 1st November when Rangers head to Dundee.

Rangers face Hearts again on 5th November, this time in a Viaplay Cup semi-final at Hampden Park, hoping to boost their chances of securing the first major silverware of the season. A re-match with Sparta Prague awaits on 9th November before the Gers welcome the November international break after a Premiership clash at Livingston on 12th November.