Former Rangers attacker Serge Atakayi’s future is uncertain after his reunion with ex-Ibrox assistant manager Jonatan Johansson came to an end.
Atakayi spent three years at Ibrox, initially starring at Academy level and making one senior appearance as a substitute in a 7-1 hammering of Motherwell in November 2018.
(Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group via Getty Images)
He didn’t manage to kick on at first-team level, though, and was eventually sold to Finnish top-flight side SJK for a reported fee of £100,000 in December 2019 [Daily Record].
It was a homecoming for the pacy forward, who was born in DR Congo but brought up in Finland, the country he represented at youth international level.
However, after a decent start, things went downhill rapidly for him at SJK and he was forced to train on his own for a number of months after head coach Jani Honkavaara deemed his efforts to be below first-team standards [Ilkka Pohjalainen].
Former Rangers assistant boss Johansson offered Atakayi a lifeline in July, taking him on loan at second-tier club TPS Turku [SJK].
He received regular playing time under Johansson and made a significant contribution, scoring three goals and notching four assists from 14 appearances.
He helped TPS to a third-place finish but with the last game of the season taking place on Saturday, the loan agreement has now come to an end and the reunion is over.
Atakayi took to Instagram on Thursday, posting a heartfelt farewell message and ten action shots from his time at TPS.
‘It has come to an end where I wanna thank TPS and the amazing supporters!’ he wrote. ‘Thank you for trusting me and all the best for the future!!’
https://www.instagram.com/p/CVkU7AvoCE-/
With Atakayi’s contract at SJK also up, the former Rangers player’s future is uncertain.
His search for a new club is underway and it’ll be interesting to see whether the talented 22-year-old looks to stay in Finnish football or move elsewhere.
In other news, Rangers have been dealt a significant blow ahead of their important Premiership clash with Motherwell.