Rangers: Luis Palma is an ideal Sakala heir
Rangers must reignite a move for the Honduran winger in the coming weeks.
Glasgow Rangers have enjoyed a busy transfer window this summer. Michael Beale has managed to sign nine new players as he looks to win the 2023/24 Premiership title after a season without any silverware.
Beale has improved his midfield and attacking options, with quality players such as Jose Cifuentes, Danilo and Cyriel Dessers arriving at Ibrox.
The onus for the manager now will be to move on some players who could generate a transfer fee which will allow him to both trim the wage bill while raising funds for another one or two signings.
Antonio Colak has already departed, while Glen Kamara could be another first-team player who leaves shortly and there will surely be a few more being moved out the Ibrox exit door.
Is Fashion Sakala leaving Rangers?
The Zambian forward is being linked with a move away according to The Herald and Beale has left him out of Rangers Champions League squad for the upcoming qualifying ties against Swiss side Servette.
The Ibrox side could secure a fee of around £4m for the player, which is a solid profit considering Steven Gerrard signed him for free in 2021.
The Gers already have Sam Lammers, Danilo, Dessers, and Abdallah Sima as their new attacking options, yet could they go back in for a previous target in the remaining weeks of the window?
Will Rangers make another move for Luis Palma?
The Honduran winger was first linked with the Light Blues way back in April as Beale was already looking at improving his squad.
Greek side Aris Thessaloniki valued their prized asset at around and this looked to have put the club off any potential move.
It now appears as though Stoke City are keen on the winger, who is now being valued at £3.5m and could this perhaps tempt Beale to go back in for another bite of the cherry? Especially with Sakala on his way out.
The latter man registered 20 goal contributions last season – 12 goals and eight assists – while creating seven big chances and averaging 1.5 key passes, showcasing not only his threat in front of goal but also that he could generate opportunities for others.
Palma, like Sakala, can also play on the wing or through the middle, and he also enjoyed a solid season for the Greek side in terms of goal contributions.
Across 36 matches, the 23-year-old scored 13 goals and grabbed eight assists, which was one more contribution than Sakala, while he created four big chances and averaged 1.4 key passes per game, similar statistics to the Rangers forward.
Aris manager Apostolos Terzis lauded Palma following his performances last term, saying: “Luis has done that all season. He has been a huge player for us. We know there has been a lot of interest in him and it’s not surprising.”
He certainly offers a similar threat to that of Sakala, being able to score and generate chances for his teammates in equal measure and should Stoke fail to sign him, Beale must reignite a move for the Honduran.
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