Abdallah Sima: Everything Brighton fans need to know about about the Senegal international

Abdallah Sima has joined Brighton for £7m and will spend the season on loan at Stoke City

Brighton had been strongly linked with young Slavia Prague prospect Abdallah Sima for the past week and the 20-year-old forward does indeed look to be an exciting talent.

Across 39 appearances in all competitions last season, the Senegalese international scored an impressive 20 goals, and registered 8 assists.

At such a young age, Sima’s numbers more than hint at a big future. The young forwards contributions last season helped Slavia Prague to an invincible domestic season, winning a league and cup double.

Playing predominantly on the right wing, Sima can also be played as a central striker, and - after his initial loan to the championship - looks capable of adding much-needed firepower to Graham Potter’s attacking line.

A direct runner, Sima’s acceleration and willingness to take on defenders means he poses a direct threat when on the ball, and has that much sought-after quality of being able to beat a defender, and the calmness to either finish himself or pick out a team-mate.

It’s Sima’s admirable calm and composure in front of goal which has seen him find the net so frequently, and be deployed as a central striker. At just 20-years-old Sima is a skilled finisher.

Standing 6ft 2" tall, Sima also carries a significant aerial threat, with many of his goals coming this way.

His height, a good spring, and a knack for finding himself on the end of crosses adds an extra facet to his game, and makes him even more of a challenge to defend against.

The Senegalese youngster can either dominate in the centre of the area or drift in from a wide position to great effect.

On top of excellent attacking contributions, Sima doesn’t shy away from the defensive side of the game, boasting a high work rate, all the more impressive considering the attacking threat he carries.

Hard working, Sima won’t neglect his defensive duties, and is constantly tracking back to help his team recover the ball.

The only worry is whether his attacking output will carry over to English football. Sima is unproven at a higher level, and Albion will no doubt monitor his progress at Stoke with great interest.

Other Premier League clubs were also linked with West Ham, Arsenal and Manchester United all showing an interest. But Brighton made the significant move and seem to have quite a talent on their hands.