According to the reports from the Daily Record, Rangers scouts were recently present in Belgium to see Anderlecht’s win over Zulte Waregem. It is yet not clear which player Rangers were checking out from the stands, but it could be possible that they were monitoring former Leeds United forward Kemar Roofe.
Rangers were even linked with the English striker who moved to Anderlecht this summer from the Yorkshire club. Roofe was being seen as a replacement for Morelos in the summer, and maybe Rangers are keeping an eye on him again as a fail-safe for if the Colombian striker moves away in January.
Gerrard has maintained that Morelos is going nowhere this season. Still, it cannot be ignored that the Premier League clubs like Aston Villa and Crystal Palace (the two sides that have been linked with him) have the capability to make an offer which would be tough to refuse.
Therefore it would be naive of Rangers to not keep an eye out for a replacement and Roofe could very much be that player as Rangers’ scouts were present to see Anderlecht play. Roofe went on to score the winner against Waregem in the 81st minute to win 2-1.
Can Roofe be a plausible alternative for Morelos?
Anderlecht are struggling as a team at the moment as they are 10th in the division, but Roofe has done relatively well so far as he has five goals and two assists in eight appearances. Last season, the Englishman was a top scorer for Leeds United as they made it to the playoff semi-finals.
Roofe started as a winger, but he has been thriving in a more central role. Like Morelos, the Englishman is known for his commitment and ability to stretch play. The 26-year-old is a hard worker off the ball, and he plays with impressive energy in the attacking third. He might not be as natural as Morelos in front of goal, but overall we believe that Roofe will be a decent alternative for Gerrard and Co.
However, Gerrard must keep hold of Morelos this summer. A new player coming in a new league and team will take some time to settle in, and that might cost Rangers. Roofe has also been slightly injury prone whereas Morelos can consistently play week in week out in tough, gruelling physical games. Roofe has the potential to be a decent replacement, but he might need some time to get going for Rangers. Hence, Gerrard’s priority should be to keep Morelos up until the summer of 2020 at the very least.
