Rangers go into another transfer window knowing that mistakes have to be kept to a minimum and that Philippe Clement has to have a good eye for a player.
Along with Nils Koppen, recruitment will take an entirely different approach this summer with the manager keen to see a younger, more dynamic look to his squad.
More importantly, he will want quality, and Rangers could already be in talks about a player who Philippe Clement knows can do a job for him.
Rangers considering Abdallah Sima return
With 16 goals in 38 games, Abdallah Sima has been one of the top goalscorers in Scottish football this season despite being missing since January and then only managing four appearances in April before breaking down again.
It is a bit of a worry how many games he has been absent for this season, especially after missing all but only a handful of games when on loan at Stoke City in 2021/22.
Brighton might have a high valuation of a player who cost them £6m, however, two out of his last three seasons have been blighted by injury.
There’s no questioning his talent, but it would still be a risk given his recent history.
Speaking ahead of the final league game of the season against Hearts, Philippe Clement was keen to explain that Rangers have liked what they’ve seen of Abdallah Sima:
“That is about us, him and Brighton. 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.”
Sima deal must be one that benefits Rangers
Similar to Oscar Cortes, any deal for Abdallah Sima must be in Rangers favour.
Both are young and more susceptible to sprint related injuries given their positions and how they play, which means that there needs to be an element of caution in the negotiation process.
The major difference between the two wingers is that Sima only has a year left of his deal on the south coast and Brighton will be looking to move him on rather than lose him for free.
Clement’s comments clearly suggest that Rangers are entertaining a permanent deal for Sima and that the player – as confirmed by previous interviews – wants to stay as well.
Everything is in place except for, probably, the only stumbling block – the fee.
Rangers know that Abdallah Sima can score goals, when he is fit, the question is what price are they willing to pay for someone who has missed almost a season and a half out of the last three?
