Rangers fans have once again been left licking their transfer wounds as long-term summer target Abdallah Sima lines up a move to Ligue 1 side Brest.
The Senegalese forward, 23, spent last season on loan at Ibrox and impressed so much that Philippe Clement has been pretty clear he wants Sima back at Rangers.
But the Gers look set to taste yet more transfer disappointment as ex-Angers loanee Abdallah Sima lines up a return to Ligue 1 and France.
The forward is one of a number of players Rangers have reportedly missed out on this summer as time begins to run out for Philippe Clement and Nils Koppen.
Abdallah Sima eighth doomed Rangers link
Whilst there is no official confirmation of Abdallah Sima’s move to Stade Brestois, the sounds around a potential loan transfer are getting louder.
Rangers fans might be left asking why a similar deal couldn’t have been struck to bring the striker back to Glasgow, with Clement previously claiming finances were the sticking point in any Sima deal.
But it’s not the first time Rangers have missed out on a target this summer.
The most high profile example came right at the start of the transfer window with Panamanian centre-back Jose Cordoba.
Given the Ibrox treatment, Rangers looked to have convinced Cordoba to swap Levski Sofia for Glasgow before the Gers pulled the plug at the 11th hour.
With Rangers said to be frustrated at the Bulgarians moving the goalposts, Cordoba wound up signing for Norwich City.
Staying in Latin America, Rangers were heavily linked to Chilean defender Thomas Galdames heading into the Copa America.
But amid interest from Ibrox and Belgium, Galdames wound up moving to Russia.
There was also strong links to midfield pair Kenny McLean and Joan Jordan.
Rangers were heavily linked to Kenny McLean as the club looked to add much-needed experience to the midfield heading into the new season.
But when the Norwich City midfielder reaffirmed his commitment to the cause at Carrow Road, a deal quickly fell apart.
This was after McLean’s agent laughed off suggestions that a move fell apart over the midfielder’s contract demands.
Similarly, Rangers tried to sign Sevilla technician Joan Jordan to fill that void but eventually pulled the plug on a deal for as of yet unknown reasons.
Suggestions Jordan rejected the move have been shot down in Spain.
Rangers were also strongly linked with a move for Bayern Munich attacker Yusuf Kabadayi.
The German youth international spent last season on loan at Schalke 04 with Rangers hoping to use the Malik Tillman success story to their advantage.
But as things transpired, Kabadayi would move to Augsburg and the rest, as they say, is history
At the top end of the park, Rangers reportedly tailed Albion Rrahmani all summer long just to see the Kosovan striker move elsewhere.
Rrahmani has signed a deal with Sparta Prague to become the most expensive player in the Czech league’s history, signing a €5m (£4.3m) deal to move to Prague.
More recently, Rangers have also seen Gustavo Puerta line up a move to Hull City amid strong links to Ibrox.
Rangers transfer window threatens to bomb
That’s now eight high-profile names who have been linked to Rangers this summer and will not be coming to Ibrox.
How far down the line, if at all, we were with every single one of them remains to be seen but there are several in that number the club were serious about bringing to Glasgow.
Losing out on Abdallah Sima at this point in the window is a sore one to take for Rangers fans even if the costly failure to qualify for the Champions League probably killed the transfer stone dead.
Nonetheless Rangers remain on the hunt for reinforcements even if players will need to leave before they can strike deals elsewhere.
The latest reports suggest Rangers are ready to let as many as five more players go this summer as Philippe Clement tries to rebuild the squad.
But so long as the club fails to get deals over the line for their top targets, the nerved will continue to rise this summer.
