Rangers are in pole position to sign Abdallah Sima on a permanent deal as Brighton prepare to sell the attacker.
Graeme Bailey has exclusively told Rangers News that the Seagulls look increasingly willing to cash in on the 22-year-old forward in the upcoming transfer window.
And the Gers are front of the queue for Abdallah Sima heading into the summer with the necessary financial package to finance a deal not outside of the Ibrox club’s reach.
The news comes despite the fact Rangers are not the only suitors who are looking at a deal for the former Slavia Prague forward.
There were Premier League links to Abdallah Sima earlier in the season but the Gers are believed to be the attacker’s preferred destination.
It comes with Sima scoring an impressive 16 goals to date for Rangers and despite an earlier injury sustained at AFCON seeing the forward miss over two months of the season.
The news comes amid suggestions from elsewhere that Rangers are keen on completing a deal for the attacker this summer.
Sima central to Rangers getting deal done
Abdallah Sima has enjoyed his year-long loan stint at Ibrox and as a result Rangers are the attacker’s number one destination this summer.
The costs involved in any transfer are not believed to be prohibitive, although Rangers will have to pay a not inconsiderate fee to bring Sima north of the border permanently.
Brighton paid Slavia Prague around £6m to sign the striker back in 2021 but things haven’t gone to plan on the south coast, with Sima yet to make an appearance at the AMEX.
Following loan spells at Stoke City and Angers, Abdallah Sima appears to have found his home at Rangers and his eagerness to make the switch will be crucial in getting the deal over the line.
Brighton also boast a contract option until 2026 on the striker – something which protects their asset in this circumstance – but it’s believed they are now open to moving the forward on in the coming months.
Despite moving to the Premier League, Abdallah Sima’s wage demands are also not believed to be an obstacle to getting a deal done.
Brighton increasingly open to Senegalese sale
Rangers manager Philippe Clement has previously been clear that the Ibrox side would be entering negotiations with Brighton to sign Abdallah Sima permanently.
The Belgian boss claimed back in December that Rangers would be reaching out to the Seagulls before the end of the player’s loan deal.
“It’s not about assessing that in the summer, there will be talks faster than that,” said Clement.
“But of course it’s really early to be doing that now. The most important thing is that Abdallah is performing and that he feels really good in the club. That’s the first step so we can build on that.
“If he is continuing what he is is doing now I think this is also a good place for him to grow, as a player, as a person, in everything.”
These comments were then further intensified by claims from within the player’s camp that Abdallah Sima was eager to see the switch happen.
Speaking in Senegal, Sima’s agent Bathie Toure suggested that his client was pushing for a move as early as the January transfer window.
“Abdallah Sima is good at Rangers and wants to continue there,” said Toure. “He likes the atmosphere at the club and wants to continue to evolve as a player.
“Abdallah is currently the most exciting young Senegalese player. He is a hard worker and has been looked after well in his career.
“At the moment, he is happy because he is playing every week at Rangers. He feels comfortable there and it is definitely his wish to stay.
“We will see what happens at the end of his loan.”
Despite this initial positivity, reports down south had suggested that Brighton would be waiting until the summer to assess their squad.
However we understand that the Brighton recruitment team are comfortable with the idea of moving Abdallah Sima on and Rangers could be about to benefit.
As a result of this latest news, suggestions Brighton could demand as much as £15m for the forward are wide of the mark.
