According to a recent report by Goal.com, Newcastle United will face fierce competition from Leicester City, Crystal Palace and Aston Villa along with other clubs from Spain in pursuit of Rangers centre-forward Alfredo Morelos this summer. The same source has also revealed that the Colombian striker, whose current contract at the Ibrox runs out in the summer of 2023, has a market value of €15m.
Morelos’ Spectacular Scoring Record In The Scottish First Division
The Cerete-born talent has enjoyed another fruitful season in the Scottish Premiership after putting in several match-winning displays for Steven Gerrard’s side so far. He has netted 29 goals and provided ten assists in 46 appearances for the Gers this term across all competitions which highlights his growing influence at the Glaswegian club.
Morelos currently finds himself in third place in the race for the golden boot award in the Scottish top-flight. Only his Rangers teammate, Jermaine Defoe and Celtic’s Odsonne Edouard have a better goal-scoring than him in league football this season. So it is quite easy to forget how incredible he has been for the Ibrox outfit before the football world came to a standstill due to the recent COVID-19 pandemic.
The 23-year-old has also earned six senior caps for the Colombian national side and has scored one goal for his country in the process. Maybe, a high-profile switch to the Premier League this summer could give him the platform to ensure a starting role in Carlos Queiroz’s first-team ahead of the Copa America which is now scheduled to take place at the end of next season.
What Does The Rangers Hot Shot Offer On The Field?
Morelos can use his quickness and turn of pace to cause a lot of headaches for the opposition defenders in the final third. He has the instincts of a poacher and doesn’t mind testing the opposition keeper quite often in search of more goals. The South American sensation can use his strength to overpower the opposition but needs to improve his end-product as he can be guilty of squandering some decent scoring opportunities during a game. This has especially been prevalent after the winter break as the Colombian has struggled to score and frankly not looked in his elements.
Is Morelos The Right Choice For The Magpies?
Steve Bruce currently has Joelinton, Andy Carroll, Yoshinori Muto and Dwight Gayle as his striking options at St. James’ Park. However, none of them has managed to find any kind of consistency in terms of goal-scoring this season which has increased Newcastle’s need to recruit a prolific marksman this summer.
There is no doubt that a striker of Morelos’ track record will be an excellent choice for the Magpies if they can find a way to fend off interest from other clubs and lure him to Tyneside before the start of the new season. He will not only bolster Bruce’s attacking options significantly by adding more goals to his first-team, but also increase competition for places within the Newcastle squad.
The Colombian’s arrival will also offer the Magpies head coach more freedom when selecting his teams and formations next season. Hence, it makes a lot of sense for the Premier League outfit to go all out in their efforts to acquire Morelos’ services this summer. However, keeping in mind the striker’s disciplinary track record, which has improved slightly this season in all fairness, this would be a slight gamble.
