Fashion Sakala admits he chose Rangers over Premier League and La Liga clubs

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Incoming Rangers signing Fashion Sakala has revealed that he rejected offers from Premier League and La Liga clubs to join Rangers after discussions with Steven Gerrard.

Speaking to Zambian radio station Q-FM, the KV Oostende striker claimed that it was the Rangers manager that was the deciding factor as to which club he would join this summer when his deal with the Belgian team came to an end, with Sakala also revealing that he was approached by clubs in Europe’s top-five leagues.

Sakala was a wanted man before Rangers were able to snatch up the 24-year-old on a pre-contract agreement, with the 24-year-old attacker bagging 14 goals in all competitions this season for Oostende, yet despite interest from some clubs in Europe’s biggest leagues, Gerrard was able to convince the forward to come to Rangers.

The former Spartak Moscow attacker said: “Honestly, I had a lot of options. I had teams in the Premier League, three teams from England. I had two teams from France, in Ligue 1. I also had a lot of options from Spain, in La Liga.”

Sakala later added: “Looking at the profile of Steven Gerrard, the first time he called me he told me that I’m a very good player and I have a lot to achieve. And looking at his profile, him telling me that really touched my heart. I felt like I have a journey to follow.”

TBR View: Gerrard negotiating power could lead to more transfer coups

Recruiting players for Rangers is already a difficult job given the lack of reputation the Scottish Premiership has compared to other leagues in Europe as well as the uncertainty of playing in the likes of the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League, but the signing of Sakala proves that opinions are changing, and that Gerrard is as useful off the touchline as he is on it.

Convincing a player to join over the likes of Premier League or La Liga teams is an impressive feat, and for Rangers, this achievement with recruiting Sakala could lead to similar signings that will help the club build on from the title-winning season this year.