BBC pundit and former Glasgow Rangers player Alan Hutton has shared his verdict on current Light Blues striker Alfredo Morelos and what the future could hold for him at Ibrox. 

The Lowdown: Morelos' season so far

This season has seen the 26-year-old, whose contract at Ibrox expires at the end of the season, make 19 appearances for the club across all competitions, but he has started only five times.

Rangers recently appointed Michael Beale as their new manager following the departure of Giovanni van Bronckhorst, who seemingly didn't see the Colombian as a crucial figure for the team given the lack of starts.

Now that Beale has been appointed, this has led to one former Ibrox player sharing his thoughts on how Morelos' situation could look going forward.

The Latest: Hutton drops Morelos verdict

Speaking to Football Insider, Hutton discussed Morelos' current situation at Rangers, what the future could hold for him under Beale and whether or not signing a new striker could be on the club's agenda.

The ex-Scotland defender said: "I think it will be up there. We know everything that is going on with Alfredo Morelos. He has really struggled this season. Whether it be because [Antonio] Colak has come in and done so well.

"Maybe Alfredo thought he was going to come back and go straight in and be the main man and that has not quite happened. His performances have not been great.

"He had been given opportunities just before Gio left and they were not good enough. Maybe it is a case of looking at the future without Alfredo Morelos.

"Everybody starts with a clean slate when the new manager comes in. If he wants to stay at the club he has to prove himself. Even if he wants to get a move, he needs to be playing at a certain level and I do not think he has hit that so far.

"I think it will be good for the club either way."

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The Verdict: A decision for Beale

Having made 243 appearances for Rangers across all competitions, the centre-forward has scored 115 goals and delivered 63 assists in the process, becoming a real stalwart at Ibrox since joining in 2017.

With Beale now at the helm, it seems that the new manager will have a decision to make over whether or not he gives Morelos more of a chance to prove himself on the pitch than Van Bronckhorst did.

 

Should the 26-year-old find himself in the starting XI on a more regular basis, this will give him the opportunity to either be convinced that he still has a future at Ibrox, or the opportunity to put himself in the shop window and attract a new club who may look to sign him as a free agent in the summer.

However, having earned a rather underwhelming overall season rating of 6.36/10 from WhoScored for his performances in the league, Morelos will need to step up his game if he wants to enjoy a positive second half to the campaign.