Glasgow Rangers' activity in the transfer market over the previous few years has been very Jekyll and Hyde in nature.
On the one hand, duds such as Carlos Pena, Juninho Bacuna, Jordan Jones and George Edmundson, plus a handful of others, have all graced the Ibrox pitch since the Gers gained promotion in 2016, yet they failed to have a positive impact.
On the other hand, however, the Light Blues have made the occasional signing, which has paid off. The likes of Jack Butland, Alfredo Morelos, John Lundstram, and Todd Cantwell are all players who arrived at Ibrox for either nothing or a very small transfer fee and exceeded expectations.
While Michael Beale may have been sacked due to some horrendous results during the early part of the season, he did bring two of the above to Ibrox, while also securing winger Abdallah Sima on a season-long loan deal from Brighton and Hove Albion.
He was arguably one of the few bright sparks between August and October last year, scoring for fun despite Beale’s style of play being anything but.
Abdallah Sima’s current market value
The Senegal international enjoyed a productive spell at Slavia Prague between 2020 and 2022, scoring 16 goals and registering seven assists in just 39 matches, which sealed a move to Brighton.
Sima has yet to play a single game for the south coast side, spending a few spells out on loan, but it has been his stint in Glasgow which has been the most successful, showing that he has what it takes to make it for a top-flight club.
Across 33 games for the Glasgow side this term, the 22-year-old has found the back of the net on 15 occasions, chipping in with two assists too, making himself the undisputed number one on the left wing.
He was chosen to represent Senegal at the recent Africa Cup of Nations tournament, yet suffered a hamstring injury during training and was thus sent home in order to recover.
Philippe Clement said the injury would keep him out for at least two months, thus missing some crucial matches. The good news is, he should be back for the title run-in, with his presence in the starting XI key to any success the club go on to have between now and May.
Metric
Europa League
Premiership
Goals
3
10
Assists
0
2
Key passes per game
1
1
Successful dribbles per game
1.8
1.5
Shots on target per game
1.3
0.9
Not only does Sima rank third among his teammates for goals and assists in the Premiership this term (12), but he also ranks first for successful dribbles per game (1.5) and third for shots per game (three), showing how effective he is in front of goal.
At the time of writing, Sima is currently valued at €7.9m (£6.7m) according to Football Transfers and if he can bounce back from injury to enjoy a goal-laden run across the final few matches, this will certainly increase.
He is one of the highest valued players at the club just now, yet going by inflation, a player who represented the Gers between 2002 and 2004 was worth a lot more upon his departure to Spain in the summer of 2004 – Mikel Arteta.
How much Rangers paid for Mikel Arteta
Towards the end of the 2001/02 season, it was announced that Rangers had secured the signature of Mikel Arteta for a fee of £6m from Barcelona, with Alex McLeish lavishing praise on the Spaniard.
"Mikel is an excellent young player and I'm sure he is someone who will really excite the Rangers fans," said McLeish.
"I think the fans will see a class act when he pulls on a Rangers jersey next season. He is very comfortable on the ball and he has an excellent touch and the great thing is his best years are still ahead of him.”
Arteta enjoyed a wonderful debut campaign in Glasgow, playing 27 league matches, scoring four times as the club won their first title since 2000. During the final game of the season, the Gers received a penalty during the final minutes against Dunfermline, knowing that a goal would likely seal the league crown.
Up stepped Arteta. With 50,000 supporters behind him and the weight of expectations on his shoulders, the youngster slotted the ball into the net like he was playing at the local park, thus entering the history books as the club became the first side in the world to win their domestic league 50 times.
Nine goals in 30 games the following season meant he was one of their better performers in an otherwise shoddy campaign, but when Real Sociedad came calling in 2004, McLeish had no choice but to sell him.
Mikel Arteta’s value in 2024 money
With financial issues hampering the club, Rangers accepted an offer of £3.6m from the La Liga outfit ahead of the 2004/05 season, meaning they had lost money on the deal.
Totally Money have taken the 100 most expensive transfers of all time across each season since 1992 in Europe's top five leagues. Armed with plenty of historical financial data they have calculated what footballers of yesteryear would be worth in the present day after taking into account the remarkable rate of inflation.
In 2024 money, however – with Totally Money adjusted for inflation over the years – Arteta would be worth £13m in the market today, showing that Rangers hit the jackpot by moving on the young Spaniard when they did.
This means he would also be worth nearly £6m more than Sima, who has been one of their best performers this season, showing just how valuable Arteta was 20 years ago.
What Mikel Arteta is doing now
Having retired in 2016, Arteta is now the manager of Arsenal, and he stands on the brink of history. Should the Gunners win the Premier League title this season, he will break the record for youngest manager to ever win the competition.
José Mourinho was 42 years and 94 days old when he led Chelsea to the 2005 league title, while Arteta will be 42 years and 54 days old on the final day of the current campaign.
He has certainly come a long way since playing against the likes of Partick Thistle and Motherwell during his stint at Ibrox between 2002 and 2004, but he will always be fondly remembered as the player who sealed league title number 50 for the Light Blues on that wonderful day in May 2003.
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