Glasgow Rangers have used the loan system to great effect in recent seasons and are currently looking for a player to replace their latest loan success, Vaclav Cerny.
The winger spent the 2024/25 campaign on loan at Ibrox, and caught the eye with his impressive performances on the right flank for Philippe Clement and Barry Ferguson’s side.
Cerny, 27, ended the Scottish Premiership season with an excellent haul of 12 goals and four assists for Rangers, which shows that he offered a threat in the final third on a regular basis.
It was the latest example of the Light Blues’ excellent use of the loan market, and there have been plenty of other great examples over the years, going all the way back to the signing of Ryan Kent on loan under Steven Gerrard.
More recently, though, the Light Blues snapped up a promising talent from a Premier League club by signing Abdallah Sima on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion, in a deal that was another big success.
Rangers hit gold with Abdallah Sima
In the summer of 2023, the Gers swooped to sign the versatile attacker on a season long-loan from Brighton, but they did not include an option to make the deal permanent the following summer.
Despite only having the Senegal international on loan for one season, Rangers will surely look back on his time at Ibrox as a success due to his quality on the pitch.
As you can see in the graphic above, Sima ended his time in Glasgow with a return of 16 goals and two assists in 39 games, which shows that he posed a big threat as a goalscorer.
The 24-year-old star also started the quarter-finals, the semi-finals, and the final of the League Cup as Rangers won the competition, scoring in the quarter-final against Livingston.
Appearances
25
Starts
17
Goals
11
Big chances created
2
Assists
2
Dribbles completed per game
1.2
Duels won per game
6.4
As you can see in the table above, Sima was particularly prolific in the Premiership, despite injuries limiting his minutes, as he scored 11 goals in 17 starts in the division for Michael Beale and Philippe Clement.
The right-footed forward hit the ground running in Scottish football and proved to be a reliable forward who was depended on by both managers that season.
Overall, it was a brilliant deal for Rangers because they had a high-quality player who made a big impact on the pitch and helped the team to win a trophy, without having to pay a transfer fee for him.
Rangers eyeing move for Brighton talent
The Light Blues could repeat that Sima blinder by signing another young star on loan from Brighton this summer, amid interest in one of their current crop of talents.
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According to Football Insider, Rangers are interested in a deal to sign Brighton’s young English goalkeeper Carl Rushworth on a season-long loan to bolster Russell Martin’s squad.
The report claims that the Light Blues are ‘accelerating’ their efforts to bring in a new shot-stopper to improve the team, as they look for competition for Jack Butland and Liam Kelly.
Football Insider adds that Rangers are working to agree a deal for Rushworth this week, although it remains to be seen if they will be able to wrap up a move before the 17th July deadline for the Champions League squad to face Panathinaikos later this month.
The outlet reveals that the Gers would like to replace Butland and that the Brighton youngster is looking for a club where he can play regular football again.
Why Carl Rushworth would be an Abdallah Sima repeat for Rangers
Rangers would repeat their Sima masterclass with Rushworth because he would be another young loanee from Brighton who could arrive to make an instant impact at Ibrox as a key player on the pitch.
In the 2024/25 campaign, Butland conceded 2.22 more goals than expected based on the xG of the shots against his goal in the Premiership, which shows that he underperformed as a shot-stopper.
Rushworth only played two games on loan at Hull, as they preferred their permanent number one option, but his form on loan at Swansea in the Championship in the 2023/24 campaign suggests that he has the potential to come in as an upgrade on Butland.
In that season with the Swans, the former England U21 international started all 46 league games and caught the eye by preventing 4.02 goals (xG) between the sticks, which shows that he could be a better shot-stopper than the current Gers number one based on the quality of his shot-stopping that term.
It was his all-round game in that season for the Welsh side, though, that really suggests that Rangers could find their next Sima success by raiding Brighton for another young gem on loan.
Post-shot xG minus goals conceded
+0.12
Top 14%
Save percentage
70.9%
Top 22%
Touches
50.48
Top 6%
Percentage of passes that were launched long
31.8%
Bottom 49%
Defensive actions outside of the box
1.39
Top 29%
Average distance of defensive actions
16.3 yards
Top 26%
As you can see in the table above, Rushworth is a modern goalkeeper who can act as a sweeper behind the defence as well as being comfortable and composed in possession, taking plenty of touches without launching it long very often.
These statistics suggest that the left-footed star, who was hailed as “fearless” by former boss Matt Taylor, would suit Martin’s ball-dominant style of play, as he will need to be competent at drawing in a press and playing around it, rather than constantly launching the ball long.
Factor in that his shot-stopping form for Swansea suggests that he could be even better than Butland with his hands and the potential is there for Rushworth to be the dream all-round goalkeeper for Rangers.
This is why he could be a Sima repeat because the 24-year-old titan could step in and instantly be the best option to be the number one for Martin, hopefully helping the team to achieve success on the pitch next season, if they can land him on loan.
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