Rangers handed potential transfer boost for star who 'feels at home' as £8m price tag 'drops'

Rangers' have been handed a potential welcome boost in their pursuit to sign Abdallah Sima on a permanent basis this summer amid claims the attacker’s asking price has dropped.

The Senegalese international created a relatively positive impression during his season-long loan spell from English Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion last term, netting 16 goals in all competitions despite an injury-disrupted second half of the campaign.

Light Blues manager Philippe Clement has been particularly vocal about his desire to retain Sima’s services long-term, but it was thought a permanent deal could be difficult to work out between both parties due to the sizable £7million fee the Seagulls paid to recruit him from Slavia Prague in 2021.

It was suggested Brighton were demanding an ever greater fee of around £8m in order to allow the forward to leave the Amex Stadium, but Sussex Live have since reported that figure is set to come down with the player only having one year left on his current contract. The report adds that new boss Fabian Hurzeler - who recently replaced Italian coach Roberto De Zerbi in the hot seat - still wants to “assess” the 23-year-old in pre-season training before a decision is made on his future.

GlasgowWorld understands Brighton hold the option of extending Sima’s deal by an additional 12 months and Gers chiefs have indicated that if he was to be shown the door, the South Coast outfit would likely be inclined to test the market in a bid to maximise the best value for the player.

“It’s not up to me,” Sima admitted when quizzed about the possibility of returning to Rangers next season after the Scottish Cup final defeat to Celtic. “I always say I feel at home here (at Rangers) and I’m happy to be here. I’ve always loved to give everything for this shirt. As I say, this place feels like home and I feel everyone wants to stay in a place that feels like home, so we will see in the next few weeks. I think I can be proud of my season and happy with what I’ve contributed. I wanted to do more but of course, I had a bad moment with my injury, which ruled me out for a long time. But I’m always looking forward and I’m not looking back.”

Clement also spoke previously about a potential return to Glasgow for Sima. Speaking at a press conference in May, the Belgian said: “We were really happy with what (Sima) showed. We see him as somebody with the 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 on what their demands are and what we can pay. It is always like that.”