Sizzling Sakala: Analyzing Gerrard’s latest Zambian recruit for Rangers – scout report

Rangers have announced that they have made a deal to sign Fashion Sakala from the Belgium Pro League team, KV Oostende. The 24-year-old will be the latest prospect to make a move to the UK where he will be joining his new teammates in the summer.

He has registered 13 goals and 3 assists in 28 league game this season which is a fine return for a youngster playing for a team that are competing in the league for a spot in the next season’s Europ League. This scout report will feature the statistical and tactical analysis of Sakala as a player and how he will be contributing to Steven Gerrard’s tactics at Rangers with his strengths and weaknesses. Let’s begin the analysis.

Role at Oostende

In Blessin’s setup at KV Oostende where he deploys the 3-5-2 formation, Sakala starts as one of the two strikers and mostly it would be on the right side of the pitch. But as a striker and is a forward, Sakala is not restricted to the left side and often finds himself in the right flank to support teammates or receive the ball. 

His position in the front line also depends on whom he partners with. The two players he has constantly been partnered with are Marko Kvasina and Makhtar Gueye. He starts on the left side while playing with the former and on the right side with the latter. But we can start by assuming he is a striker by trade and is the main source of verticality (stretches defences by staying high) for his team like in the image below.