Rangers: Morelos is ‘gone’ from Ibrox

Glasgow Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos is effectively ‘gone’ from the Premiership giants due to the unlikelihood of him signing a new contract, according to journalist Gary Keown.

The Lowdown: Uncertain future for Morelos

The Colombian’s current deal at Ibrox is set to expire at the end of the season, and having not yet put pen to paper on fresh terms, his future is very much up in the air.

As it stands, the 26-year-old is free to sign for potential suitors on a pre-contract basis in the January transfer window, which could be a likely outcome given that he has failed to start a single league game so far this term.

The Latest: Keown’s comments

In a column for the Scottish Mail on Sunday (30 October, page 137, via Ibrox News), Keown insisted that nobody would want to sign Morelos and admitted that there’s next to no chance that the Colombian will extend his stay at Rangers beyond next summer.

The journalist wrote: “And here we are. In a crazy situation where a player rated at £20m by the Ibrox board two years ago looks likely to walk for nothing in the summer.

“They could push ahead with offering that new idea, but does it make sense when he looks as demotivated as this?

“You could look for a bargain-basement sale in January providing a replacement can be sourced, but who would buy? Morelos has always been a liability.

“Morelos leaving under those circumstances is bad enough. But he’s gone. And he has to go, this walking embodiment of his current club. A spiralling whirl of wrong decisions, wrong attitudes and seeing all sorts of incredible opportunities turn to mush in your hands.”

Rangers news!

The Verdict: Time to cash in

Morelos has been dubbed a ‘machine’ by football talent scout Jacek Kulig in the past, and despite his attitude not always being the best, he’s still able to make an impact in the final third, which is why Rangers should cash in on him while they still can.

The forward has scored three goals and registered one assist in the Premiership this season despite relying fully on substitute appearances and is averaging 1.3 shots per game (WhoScored).

It’s unfortunate that his spell with the Light Blues is likely to end in anti-climax, given his status as the club’s all-time leading scorer in Europe, but January feels like the right time for Giovanni van Bronckhorst to let him go.