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photo by Vagelis Georgariou/Action Plus via Getty Images
photo by Vagelis Georgariou/Action Plus via Getty Images

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‘What is happening?’: These Rangers fans react to Ibrox flop’s £52m Bayern Munich link

Adam Miller
Adam Miller

Ask any Rangers fan who watched the 2018/19 Betfred Cup semi-final to predict who Umar Sadiq would be playing for in 2021, and it’s unlikely they would have suggested Bayern Munich.

It’s also highly improbable that they would suggest his valuation would be around £52 million.

Spanish outlet , however, have reported that the European champions are willing to activate that release clause in his contract with Almeria.

If the Segunda Division side reach La Liga, the release clause will rise to around £69 million.

To call Sadiq a ‘flop’ at Ibrox would be charitable. The Nigerian made a total of four appearances and failed to score in any of them.

His nadir came in the aforementioned semi-final against Aberdeen, when he was thrown in from the start by Steven Gerrard due to the absence of Alfredo Morelos and Kyle Lafferty.

At one point he rounded Dons keeper Joe Lewis, only to throw himself to the ground looking for a penalty instead of slotting the ball into an empty net.

Sadiq was booked for diving, and it became the defining image of his short stay in Scotland.

A season-long loan deal was terminated within five months, and the then-Roma man endured another unsuccessful loan spell at Perugia.

His fortunes changed, however, when he was sent on loan to Partizan and scored 17 goals in 39 appearances, before joining Almeria in October 2020.

He’s since scored 17 in 32, and AS claim that Sadiq is “wanted by half of Europe”, including the Bundesliga giants.

To say these Rangers supporters are surprised would be an understatement.