Michael Beale is prepared to U-turn on his ‘no loans’ policy in order to strike a deal to land Abdallah Sima from Brighton.
The Rangers boss has previously gone on record as saying he would prefer to avoid tapping into the temporary transfer market as he pieces together a major summer rebuild. But, while that remains the Englishman’s stance, Beale is prepared to make an exception to the rule where the 22-year-old Senegalese international is concerned.
Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi has already informed Sima he will be surplus to requirements at the Amex again next season, after the winger spent the last two campaigns farmed out to Stoke and French outfit Angers. He has yet to make his debut for the Seasiders, two years after joining them for a fee of around £7m from Slavia Prague.
But Sima caught Beale’s eye when starring for the Czech club in a bad tempered Europa league double header against Steven Gerrard’s Rangers in March 2021. Slavia made it into the quarter finals, where they were eventually knocked out by Arsenal, but Sima’s scintillating form was enough to convince then Brighton boss Graham Potter to stump up a big money offer to take him to the south coast.
De Zerbi, though, has yet to be convinced and wants the youngster to gain more first team experience elsewhere before considering him for contention in the Premier League. Beale is leading the chase to offer Sima that platform at Ibrox and hopes to get a deal over the line before the start of pre-season next month.
Beale has already tied up permanent moves for Chelsea’s Dujon Sterling, Kieran Dowell from Norwich, Atalanta striker Sam Lammers and former England keeper Jack Butland plus he remains in the race for £6.5m rated Cremonese front man Cyriel Dessers.
