Sevilla and Villarreal battle for £22m-rated Rangers flop with 68 goals since Ibrox exit

Umar Sadiq’s defining moment in a Rangers shirt was a daft dive against Aberdeen in a League Cup semi-final which the Ibrox side lost at Hampden Park.

Having run through on goal, the Nigerian, who was on loan from Roma during the 2018/19 campaign, opted to go down in the vicinity of Dons goalkeeper Joe Lewis instead of simply scoring.

Sadiq’s loan stint at Rangers lasted just half a season, amounting to four appearances and just one start. That ill-fated loss against Aberdeen.

Fast forward four years and a striker who was regarded as a flop at Ibrox is now at the centre of a possible transfer battle between two of the biggest clubs in Spain.

Sevilla, who will be in the Champions League group stage, and Villarreal, who reached last season’s Champions League semi-final, are reported to be interested in the 25-year-old, with reports of a £22million fee.

Since returning to Roma after Rangers cut his loan short, Sadiq has scored 68 goals, one of which was for Nigeria.

Following a short stint with Perugia where he netted three times, a move to Partizan Belgrade ignited his career. He scored 23 goals in 52 appearances which earned him a transfer to Almeria. Across two campaigns he hit 41 goals, helping the club win the league and promotion to La Liga in the second season.

That form has attracted the attention of the bigger clubs in Spain.

Sevilla are keen on a striker and have been linked with Alfredo Morelos, while Fabrizio Romano has revealed he is a target for Villarreal if they sell Danjuma to West Ham United.