There may be some Glasgow Rangers supporters who are currently questioning the board, the recruitment department, and head coach Russell Martin.
You did not have to have super hearing to be aware of the feelings of some fans towards the manager during the 6-0 defeat to Club Brugge in Belgium on Wednesday night.
The Light Blues have conceded 17 goals in ten competitive matches under the new head coach, failing to qualify for the Champions League and failing to win any of their three games in the Scottish Premiership to date.
However, the recruitment department should also take some of the blame because it is, ultimately, the players on the pitch who are significantly underperforming at this moment in time.
Yes, Martin has to put a system and tactics in place that get the best out of the players, but there have been far too many simple mistakes that players signed by Rangers should not be making.
The recruitment team need to get the right calibre of players in the building, and that is why some may be frustrated to learn that Abdallah Sima currently looks set to leave Brighton for a relatively modest fee.
Rangers have missed a trick with Abdallah Sima
The Senegal international is reportedly on the verge of signing for Ligue 1 side Lens in a deal that is worth an initial fee of just £3.9m, plus add-ons on top of that.
For context, Rangers paid £4.5m to sign Oscar Cortes from Lens as part of their obligation to make his loan permanent this summer. The Colombian winger has scored one league goal for Rangers since his arrival, initially on loan, in January 2024.
During Sima’s time on loan at Rangers from Brighton in the 2023/24 campaign, the left-sided attacker proved that he had the quality to make a big impact in Scottish football.
The £3.9m-rated star scored 16 goals in all competitions for the Ibrox giants, per Transfermarkt, and offered a big goal threat in the Premiership for Philippe Clement.
Appearances
25
Starts
17
Goals
11
Big chances created
2
Assists
2
Dribbles completed per game
1.2
Duels won per game
6.4
As you can see in the table above, Sima delivered 13 direct goal contributions in 17 starts in the top-flight for Rangers that season, before he returned to Brighton at the end of his loan spell.
The forward then scored 12 goals in all competitions for Brest on loan in France last season, which shows that he has continued to offer a threat in front of goal.
This is why Rangers missing out on a £3.9m deal, particularly given what they paid for Cortes, could be seen as a blunder by the recruitment team and Martin.
However, the Gers are now reportedly looking at a move for a Premier League attacker who could be a Sima repeat at Ibrox in the 2025/26 campaign.
Rangers in talks to sign Premier League forward
According to RangersReview, Rangers have made contact with Everton over a potential deal to sign Portuguese centre-forward Youssef Chermiti.
The report claims that the Light Blues have enquired about a move to bring him to Ibrox on a season-long loan deal, with talks underway between the two clubs ahead of Monday’s deadline.
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Everton-based reporter El Bobble adds that the Gers are advancing in talks to complete a deal for the versatile forward, which suggests that progress has been made in recent hours.
The account, previously credited by David Ornstein and Fabrizio Romano, claims that the Scottish giants are also looking to include an option to make the deal permanent.
It is now down to the club to ensure that they can wrap up a move for the 21-year-old star in the coming days before the window slams shut on Monday.
Why Chermiti could be the next Sima for Rangers
Supporters may take a look at Chermiti’s statistics and be concerned by the fact that he has not scored a goal in over two years with Everton, although he only played four times in the Premier League last season.
The young forward has failed to deliver a single goal or assist in 24 matches for Everton in all competitions, per Transfermarkt, which is not going to instill much hope from fans looking into his career.
However, Chermiti, dubbed an “outstanding” talent by U23 scout Antonio Mango, also came through the ranks and made first-team appearances at Sporting, a huge club, before being signed for a whopping fee of £15m by Everton in 2023.
Despite not scoring a competitive goal for Everton’s first-team, there is potential for Chermiti to arrive at Ibrox as a repeat of Sima, as another loanee from a Premier League club who could make a big impact at Ibrox.
Prior to his loan move to Glasgow, Sima had not played a single game for Brighton and had only scored five goals on loan at Angers, which shows that they were not signing a proven talent at the time.
U21
2
1
U20
4
2
U19
4
3
U18
12
6
U16
12
1
U15
5
1
As you can see in the table above, Chermiti has showcased his goalscoring potential at youth level for Portugal across various age groups in recent years, scoring 12 goals in 22 games since making the step up to U18 football.
He has not had a run of starts to show what he can do at first-team level, yet, and that is why a move to Rangers could make a lot of sense for all parties involved.
Chermiti will have the chance to play regular football and translate his goalscoring prowess at youth level over to the Premiership, and Rangers will have a talented young player who could develop during his time at Ibrox, much like Sima did.
The key difference between the two deals, though, could be that Rangers may have an option to make the deal permanent next summer, which will be significant if he has a positive impact on the pitch.