Rangers 'can't afford' Abdallah Sima deal after 'what I've been told' - expert

Rangers cannot afford to sign Abdallah Sima from Brighton this summer because of the complications surrounding the Ibrox renovations.

Further delays to the work have caused uproar amongst fans, and former Celtic man and well-connected Glasgow expert Frank McAvennie has revealed he was told the stadium would not reopen until January 2025.

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, McAvennie explained that this means Rangers will be forced to play at Murrayfield or Hampden Park in what could be a pricey move.

The added expenditure, therefore, will see Gers’ budget depleted, with a reported £8million outlay for Sima becoming more unlikely.

Instead, McAvennie insisted the deal would need to be another loan move, or financed by one of the club’s directors.

Rangers ‘can’t afford’ to sign Abdallah Sima after Ibrox twist

This comes after Football Insider revealed that Rangers will have to sell two big names before they can make an offer to sign Sima.

McAvennie insisted the forward would be a good signing after an impressive loan spell in which he scored 16 goals, but stated he does not believe it will be possible.

“They can’t sign him,” he told Football Insider.

“It doesn’t matter what way you work around it, they can’t sign him unless they get him on another loan deal.

“There’s no way they can afford to spend £8million on Sima.

“Unless some multi-millionaire decides to give them £8million for him, there’s no chance.

“They’ve got enough problems with their stadium and the bill that’s going to come through for that. I’ve been told it’s not going to be open until the start of next year.

“With the money they’ll have to spend to play at Hampden Park or Murrayfield, I don’t think they can afford to spend that kind of money on players.

“No matter what the papers say, they cannot afford to spend that money on Sima unless one of the directors digs deep into his own pocket.

“Unless that happens, I can’t see it.

“Sima is a good player and if they can get him for half the money he’s valued at, it would be a good buy, but it’s not happening.

“They would have to spend £8million and try to sell him on for £15-20million.”

In other news, Rangers have confirmed the departure of James Bisgrove.

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