Alfredo Morelos has enjoyed a brilliant time at Rangers (Getty Images)
According to The Scotsman, Rangers boss Steven Gerrard could consider selling striker Alfredo Morelos in the summer after leaving him out of the squad in the Scottish Cup loss to Hearts.
Gerrard opted out from picking the Colombian due to disciplinary issues, as per the report and Morelos has also come under the light for a lot of negative reasons throughout the campaign, especially when he made a throat-slitting gesture against Celtic.
However, he has been one of the best players for the Gers and has led the attack brilliantly this season in the absence of veteran Jermain Defoe. The Colombian forward has been in fine form ever since his arrival at Ibrox in the summer of 2017.
In 134 appearances for the Gers, he has scored a whopping 77 goals and has provided 29 assists. He has scored more than 10 goals in the league in each of the last three campaigns and is a key member under Gerrard.
Meanwhile, the Gers started the season on a high note but lost their track in between. The loss to Hearts and Kilmarnock in the last two months has put them 11 points behind league leaders Celtic and their chances of winning the Premiership this season has been dampened.
They are also out of the SFA Cup after losing 0-1 to Hearts and the only title they have a chance of lifting is the Europa League, which won’t be an easy walk for sure. Therefore, they need to have a full-strength squad if they are to challenge for various titles next season.
In that case, the manager should keep hold of his key players and Alfredo Morelos is certainly one of them. The 23-year-old has been banging in goals for the team on a regular basis, having already scored 29 goals for the Gers this season in 43 appearances across all competitions. He has also been the lone striker and has helped the team win on several occasions in the absence of Defoe.
The Gers have four centre-forwards in their ranks in Defoe, Morelos, Florian Kamberi and Greg Stewart. Defoe is already 37 and will have very little to offer in the future, whereas Kamberi is on loan from Hibernian and nothing can be said of his stay at the club beyond this season. Hence, this leaves the manager with fewer options up front.
Predominantly a centre-forward, Morelos is also capable of playing on either flank and is known for his finishing prowess. He would be a valuable asset to the team if he is able to overcome disciplinary issues like the current one.
The Colombian has all the abilities to establish himself as one of the best strikers in the future as he has shown his potential. And Rangers must make the utmost use of him while challenging in various competitions.
Morelos is just 23 and can develop into Rangers’ main player in the future. He is capable of leading the line permanently and would be a key member of the club in the following seasons if he can keep up his current goalscoring prowess. Therefore, the Gers must decide against selling him and keep him at the club for as long as possible.
