Glasgow Rangers look in great shape ahead of the 2023/24 season. The Ibrox side defeated Hamburg in their latest pre-season friendly following a defeat to Newcastle United in Allan McGregor’s testimonial, however it is the arrivals at the club which have boosted morale.
Seven signings have been made by Michael Beale, with a few more to come before the transfer window slams shut, but the onus will now be moving on the players who don’t have a future at the Gers.
Who has left Rangers?
Antonio Colak is the only confirmed senior departure from the Light Blues this summer – aside from the raft of free-agent exits – however he won’t be the last. Scott Wright appears to also be on his way out of Rangers, while Glen Kamara might soon be closing in on a move to Leeds United for £4m.
Beale will be looking to raise some funds in order to bankroll future incomings and one player who could also leave the club, perhaps rather surprisingly, is Fashion Sakala.
The 4th Official claimed that an unnamed team from Saudi Arabia were looking to secure his signature for £4m this summer and Beale should jump at this offer considering the profit it would net the club.
Who does Michael Olunga play for?
During his spell at Rangers, Sakala has been a polarising figure. His "energy and enthusiasm" are arguably second to none – as previously hailed by pundit Alan Hutton – yet his lack of ruthlessness has dragged him down since arriving back in 2021.
Across two seasons, he has scored 24 goals – 12 per campaign – yet this could have been more as he missed 11 big chances during the 2022/23 league season and five the season before, indicating that Beale requires someone who has more composure in front of goal.
Michael Olunga could be the ideal player. The Kenyan currently plays for Al Duhail SC in Qatar and the Gers have been linked with a move for him in order to bolster their attacking options ahead of next term.
Danilo does appear to be Beale’s main target, yet the saga continues to drag on and Olunga may be an ideal alternative if a move for the Brazilian fails to materialise.
Lauded as “special” by his former boss Sabri Lamouchi in 2021, the striker has been in stunning form in front of goal over the previous few seasons.
83 goals have arrived across just 83 games for his current side, and he has scored a total of 161 club career goals, while adding another 21 in 48 matches for Kenya.
The 6 foot 2 machine has shone at the highest level for his country, scoring twice against Tanzania during the 2019 African Cup of Nations, and it’s evident that he could bring a ruthless streak to the Ibrox side which Sakala doesn’t quite have.
Across eight matches in the AFC Champions League, Asia’s equivalent to the Champions League, Olunga netted six times and took 3.9 shots per game, demonstrating his ability on the biggest stage.
In contrast, Sakala played just four matches in the Champions League and failed to score once, taking only 1.8 shots per game, certainly appearing to look out of depth against Europe’s elite last term.
There is no guarantee that the 29-year-old would be a success or even score goals at Rangers, yet his clinical nature suggests he could be worth taking a gamble on, and he could add some much-needed strength in depth to Beale’s squad.