Sekou Gassama celebrates after scoring a goal while playing for Almeria in the Spanish second division. (Image Credits: Twitter)
Back in June, a report from Italian outlet Tuttomercatoweb (h/t Daily Record) had claimed that Rangers were interested in signing Senegalese striker Sekou Gassama during the summer window. The Gers were even understood to have made a £2.7million offer for the 25-year-old, who was then plying his trade at Spanish second-tier club Fuenlabrada, on loan from La Liga side Real Valladolid.
However, a move to Ibrox never quite materialised for Gassama, who ended up rejoining Fuenlabrada on yet another loan deal. Rangers eventually roped in Cedric Itten and Kemar Roofe to bolster their striking ranks before the summer deadline.
Sekou Gassama started his career in the youth ranks of Barcelona before turning professional with Almeria B in the Spanish third division. He featured for the B sides of Real Valladolid and Rayo Vallecano before dropping further down to represent Bergantinos, Badalona and Sant Andreu in the third and fourth-tiers.
The 25-year-old returned to Almeria and was promoted to the first-team ahead of the 2018-19 campaign in the Segunda Division after helping the club’s B team to a promotion-winning campaign in the fourth division. Gassama scored 6 times in 25 appearances in the La Liga 2, the second-tier of Spanish football.
Gassama was snapped up by Real Valladolid in the top-flight in January 2020 and was immediately loaned out to Fuenlabrada in the second tier for the remainder of the campaign. He scored thrice in 9 league appearances for Fuenla last term before rejoining the club on loan for the 2020-21 campaign. Gassama has enjoyed a fine start to the campaign, scoring 4 times in 7 appearances so far.
Rangers are currently very well-stocked in their options in front of goal following the arrival of Cedric Itten and Kemar Roofe in the summer. However, managing to keep hold of star hitman Alfredo Morelos was arguably the Gers’ best piece of business in the transfer window.
However, with Morelos’ stocks continuing to soar high, it wouldn’t be a big surprise if the Colombian eventually ends up departing Ibrox in the near future. With Jermain Defoe also nearing his swansong at 38, the Gers might as well start lining up some alternatives in the market.
Roofe has certainly hit the ground running following his move to Ibrox but Itten has been a big disappointment so far. The Swiss star has struggled to acclimatise to Scottish football, starting only twice in the league for the Gers so far this season.
To put things into perspective, Rangers ideally need to bring in another striker in January or next summer if Itten continues to struggle. Reigniting interest in Sekou Gassama would make a lot of sense in footballing terms. The Senegalese striker has thrived in the Spanish second tier after excelling in the lower divisions earlier in his career and looks ready to embrace a bigger challenge.
Sekou Gassama might not be the most high-profile striker in Europe but he could well be an effective low-cost gamble for Rangers if they opt to go back in the market for the Senegalese’s services. The 25-year-old still has his best years ahead of him and would surely be worth a punt for Gerrard moving forward.