Rangers in talks to sign a star with “silky dribbling”

Glasgow Rangers manager Russell Martin may be left sweating over the availability of some of his best players from Ibrox ahead of the club’s Champions League qualifying clash later this month.

The Light Blues have a number of stars who are reportedly being eyed up by clubs around Europe, which means that they could have to fight hard to keep hold of them.

For example, clubs in England are reportedly interested in signing central midfielder Nicolas Raskin, who is valued at £25m by Rangers.

Meanwhile, Besiktas are said to have tabled an official offer of up to £10m to sign Ivorian midfield star Mohamed Diomande from the Light Blues.

Rangers have to make sure that they get the right price if they do decide to part ways with any of their stars, as they will want to avoid errors from the past.

One player whom the club may feel they allowed to leave too soon, for example, is versatile attacker Fashion Sakala, who could play on either flank or through the middle.

Why Rangers should have kept Fashion Sakala

Former Gers head coach Michael Beale decided to revamp his attack in the summer of 2023, and part of that revamp included selling the Zambia international to Saudi Pro League side Al-Fayha for a reported fee of £4m.

Since moving to Saudi Arabia, Sakala has racked up 30 goals and 15 assists in 75 appearances in all competitions for Al-Fayha, including 27 goals in 62 matches in the Pro League.

The Zambian star, who joined Rangers from Oostende in the summer of 2021, provides a threat out wide and through the middle as a versatile attacker with his ability to score and assist goals, as shown by his form in the Pro League for his new club.

It was a strange decision by the Light Blues to allow such an electric and unpredictable forward player to move on for a fee of just £4m, particularly after he had caught the eye with some impressive displays for Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Beale in the 2022/23 campaign.

As you can see in the table above, Sakala delivered 19 goals and ‘big chances’ created combined in 22 starts in the Scottish Premiership that term.

Rangers should have kept the 28-year-old whiz, who produced 24 goals and 15 assists in 91 games for the club, because he was a constant threat at the top end of the pitch.

Rangers in talks to sign new winger

The Light Blues, though, could find their next version of Sakala as they are eyeing up a deal for a speedster to bolster their options on the flanks.

According to Blick Sport, via The National, Rangers are one of a number of clubs pursuing a move to sign forward Samuel Ballet from Italian side Como in the summer transfer window.

The report claims that the 24-year-old attacker could be on his way out of the Serie A outfit, having spent last season on loan with FC Zurich in Switzerland.

It states that the Light Blues, Trabzonspor, and Norwich City are all in concrete talks to land a deal for the right-sided attacker, and are said to be ahead of Zurich in the queue to land his signature.

The outlet adds that Ballet could leave Como on a permanent deal this summer, but that they are also open to doing an initial loan with an option or obligation to make it permanent at the end of the 2025/26 campaign.

Why Ballet could be the new Sakala for Rangers

Martin could unearth his own version of Sakala by signing the 24-year-old talent in the coming weeks, because he shares similar attributes with the Zambia international.

Like the former Rangers man, Ballet is a right-footed forward who predominantly plays on the right flank or through the middle as a centre-forward, with 52 career games as a striker, 34 as a right winger, and 19 as a left winger.

Former Como caretaker Osian Roberts claimed that the flanker “is a real talent, bringing athleticism, power, silky dribbling and decisiveness in the final third” and added that he brings “dynamism to the team”.

Sound like anyone you know? Sakala brought those same qualities as an electric and pacey attacker, who was described as a “firework” by former Gers full-back Alan Hutton.

Ballet, who played as a right wing-back, a right winger, and as a striker, produced three goals and two assists in 15 starts in the Swiss Super League on loan at Zurich.

As you can see in the table above, he ranked highly among his positional peers in a host of key attacking statistics and showcased his direct and quick play with his high number of successful dribbles per 90.

His end product, with just three goals and two assists, may not be up to where Sakala got to, but he has time to improve and develop at the age of 24.

Ballet racked up 36 goals in 76 matches for BSC Young Boys at various youth levels combined, and scored in his only senior appearance for the club, which suggests that the potential is there for him to score goals consistently if he can finally bring that form to first-team football.

Therefore, the Swiss gem could be a worthwhile signing for the Scottish giants, particularly on an initial loan deal, as he has the attributes to become Sakala 2.0 at Ibrox.

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