RANGERS Football Club are delighted to announce the signing of Abdallah Sima on a season-long loan from Brighton & Hove Albion. Abdallah will join from July 1.
The 22-year-old, who signed for the English Premier League side in 2021, becomes Michael Beale’s fifth signing of the summer transfer window following the arrivals of Kieran Dowell, Jack Butland, Dujon Sterling and Sam Lammers.
An exciting attacking player, Sima started his career in his home country of Senegal before a spell in France with Thonon Evian earned him a move to Czech side FC Taborsko.
His performances in the Czech National Football League attracted the attention of Slavia Prague, whom he joined in 2020. Sima went on to lift the Czech First League title in season 2020/21 and pick up the league’s Young Player of the Year.
Since making the move to Brighton, the Senegal international has had loan spells in the English Championship with Stoke City and most recently in Ligue 1 with Angers.
Speaking after signing for the club, 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.”
Manager Michael Beale commented: “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.”