Glasgow Rangers have started positively under Philippe Clement, recording two wins and a draw across his opening three games in charge of the Ibrox side.
The Premiership clash against Hearts last weekend gave Clement an indication of how much work he will have to do in order to bring the club back to the summit of Scottish football.
The Gers trailed 1-0 heading into injury time, but a James Tavernier penalty and a Danilo header secured a remarkable turnaround and gave the Belgian another three points, yet the performance was underwhelming for 90 minutes.
The Light Blues face a hectic run of fixtures heading into the festive season, which includes a League Cup semi-final clash (and a potential final), while there are three Europa League fixtures still to be played.
The 49-year-old will need to get the best out of his squad in order to achieve success and there have only been a few senior players who have impressed so far this term.
Summer arrival Danilo has shone when called upon, scoring four times, despite missing nine games through injury, while Jack Butland has been a calming presence between the posts and this has made a massive difference.
It has arguably been Abdallah Sima – a loan signing from Brighton and Hove Albion – who has impressed the most however, finding the back of the net on nine occasions for the club and while he isn’t the most consistent player, these sorts of numbers are certainly impressive.
Could the Gers perhaps make a permanent move for the winger once the January transfer window rolls around?
Rangers transfer news – Abdallah Sima
According to Football Insider, the Light Blues are currently exploring the possibility of securing his services on a permanent basis following his encouraging start to life at the Ibrox side.
The club don’t have an option to purchase him at the end of his single-season loan deal, yet that doesn’t mean they can't make an approach in January and potentially secure a deal.
According to the report, there are several unnamed European clubs who are also keen on the winger which means Rangers face stiff competition for the Senegalese star.
With Clement just a few matches into his new role, Sima will be keen on impressing the former Club Brugge boss and the next couple of months could see him continue to shine, both domestically and on the continent.
How Sima compares to Ryan Kent
At the end of last season, the Ibrox side lost players such as Alfredo Morelos, Scott Arfield and Ryan Kent due to them not signing extensions on their contracts.
With all three players playing a key role under Steven Gerrard and leading the club to their first Premiership title in a decade, along with reaching a major European final and winning the Scottish Cup, losing them was a big blow.
Kent in particular had not enjoyed the finest of individual seasons during 2022/23, scoring only three goals and registering ten assists, but under the right manager, he could have thrived.
Indeed, over the course of his spell in Glasgow, the Englishman registered 89 goal contributions – 33 goals and 56 assists – across 218 games and on his day, there was arguably no finer attacking threat in the whole of Scotland.
Unfortunately towards the latter end of his Rangers career, these days were few and far between, yet a marauding Kent was a great asset to the club.
During the early parts of the season, Rabbi Matondo looked like he could be the ideal heir to the former Liverpool gem, scoring his first two goals for the club along with registering a couple of assists, yet injury has stopped his momentum.
Sima has been the one to benefit, enjoying a regular run of games on the left wing and has clearly taken his chance, scoring in half of the games he has featured in so far this season, indicating that he would make a fine signing.
Abdallah Sima's Rangers career in numbers
The 22-year-old scored against PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League qualifier back in August as the Gers dug out a solid 2-2 draw which gave them a wonderful chance of progression.
They had to settle for a Europa League place, but Sima has scored both of the club’s goals in the group stage so far, including the winner against Real Betis in the first match, and it is clear he is able to perform on the biggest stage.
Goals
0
5
Assists
0
0
Successful dribbles per game
1
1.8
Key Passes per game
0.8
1
Big chances created
2
0
Statistics via Sofascore.
His form has even been praised by Tavernier, who has said: “He has been a real attacking threat for us this season. He’s got electric pace and can finish in difficult areas.
“Generally with our forwards, we have to give them better service as a team. We need to get around them and give them opportunities to get on the scoresheet the same as Abdallah.”
This electric pace and being able to finish from tight areas were hallmarks of Kent during his first few seasons at Rangers as he terrorised defenders on a regular basis.
Sima certainly has all the qualities which could make him a standout this season and across the whole squad in the league, Sima ranks second for goals and assists (five) while also ranking second for shots on target per game (1.1) and second for successful dribbles per game (1.8), showcasing his impressive attacking skills which had made him a menace to defenders in Scotland.
It remains to be seen just how much of a budget Clement will have to work with in January, especially with some extravagant spending done by Michael Beale in the summer, but there will need to be some additions to bolster the squad.
Although signing Sima doesn’t appear to be a priority considering he is here until next summer, anyway, convincing him of the long-term project that is about to occur under Clement could be key in securing his signature.
Only time will tell, but the next few months could prove to be crucial with regard to how successful Rangers will be in the coming years. Signing Sima could be the catalyst for many more.