The Chelsea transfer precedent that may make Rangers think twice about Brighton deal

Brighton's Abdallah Sima is starring on loan at Rangers

That is according to Alan Hutton, who admits he will be shocked if the Scottish giants pay £10-15 million for the Albion loanee, but would like to see him stay at Ibrox.

The 22-year-old is thriving north of the border at present, scoring 15 goals and bagging two assists in 33 appearances, but it remains to be seen what Rangers will offer for the in-form forward.

Hutton told Football Insider: “I think if the price is right, they’ll get him. I’ll be very surprised if Rangers pay between £10-15 million on one player. I can’t see that happening, only if they get him for a price that they’re happy with. We’ve seen them spend huge fees in the past like when they paid £7 million for Ryan Kent. These types of fees they have done sometimes, but anything above that I can’t see.

“I’m looking at Kevin van Veen, Lawrence Shankland – I don’t think they’re going to cost anywhere near that. Me personally, I want to see Sima stay. We’re starting to see the best of him. We know he can score goals, but that fee is a big stumbling block.”

Sima, whose contract at the Amex expires in the summer of 2025, joined Brighton from Slavia Prague for a reported £6m, and while he has not played for the first-team - after loan spells at Angers, Stoke City, and now Rangers - the Sussex outfit are likely to want a profit on the Senegalese international.

However, the Gers’ transfer record was back in 2000 when they signed Tore Andre Flo from Chelsea for £12m (£21.5m adjusted for inflation today). Ryan Kent is their next biggest outlay when they recruited the winger from Liverpool in 2019 but the Scottish Premier League side may not want to go much above that for Sima.

Negotiations are likely to take place over the coming weeks and months between the two teams and Brighton may yet want to give Sima a go in the Premier League. Rangers are unlikely to dig as deep as they did financially for Flo but their resolve is set to be tested in the not-so-distant future.