Rangers confirm Abdallah Sima loan signing from Brighton & Hove Albion

Rangers have completed the signing of Abdallah Sima on a season-long loan deal from Brighton & Hove Albion.

The 22-year-old forward, who is yet to make a senior appearance for the Seagulls, spent the last two seasons on loan at Championship club Stoke City and Ligue 1 side Angers.

Sima struggled for regular first-team football at Stoke in 2021-22, but he contributed with six goals and two assists in 37 games for Angers last season.

The Senegal international will now test himself in Scotland with Glaswegian giants Rangers, and he becomes the club's fifth signing of the summer transfer window after Kieran Dowell, Dujon Sterling, Jack Butland and Sam Lammers.

Speaking to the Gers' official website on his arrival at Ibrox, Sima said: "Rangers is a big club with a big history. I played here for Slavia Prague two or three years ago and when I came here I liked it so for me it is very exciting to join Rangers.

"I spoke with Michael Beale and it was a very natural conversation, he told me about Rangers and about how we will be playing. I already knew a bit about how Rangers play so when they called me I was very honoured."

💙 Welcome to #RangersFC, @Sima_Abdalah. pic.twitter.com/5g3dT5ceP4

— Rangers Football Club (@RangersFC) June 29, 2023

Manager Beale added: "We are delighted to have Abdallah join us for the forthcoming season. He is a player I'm excited to work with, he has excellent variety in his game and can fulfil a number of attacking positions in our team.

"He has recently turned 22-years-old and has experienced playing in three domestic top divisions, in the Europa League and is a senior international for Senegal. We met a few weeks ago and discussed at length his alignment to our style of play and his future development as a player.

"He is someone I have followed closely since his breakthrough in the Czech Republic and I am extremely pleased to have Abdallah join the squad at the very start of pre-season.

"I would also like to say thank you to the staff at Brighton who have been excellent since our initial contact a number of weeks ago."

Before joining Brighton in 2021, Sima starred for Slavia Prague in the 2020-21 season, scoring 16 goals and providing seven assists in 39 matches, and the forward is hoping to replicate his form in the Czech Republic when he represents Rangers next season.

Sima could make his Gers debut when the 2023-24 Scottish Premiership campaign begins on August 5.