An impressive home win against arch-rivals Celtic has brought Rangers back in the title race (although yesterday’s defeat against Killie was definitely not in the plan). But their season goals would have been thwarted if Steven Gerrard had not taken a strong stance on the retention of Alfredo Morelos.
The striking sensation was the subject of interest from French outfit OGC Nice according to the Daily Record but the Ligue 1 team has now shifted their focus elsewhere refusing to meet the high asking price set by the Gers gaffer.
Gerrard branded Nice’s rumoured £8m bid as ‘disrespectful‘ insisting the Columbian is worth at least double of that valuation. The Ligue 1 outfit, however, have now pulled themselves out of the race as reported by Maxifoot and are concentrating on the alternatives with ex-forward Valere Germain and Bournemouth star Lys Mousset identified as replacements for Mario Balotelli (who has been roped in by Olympique de Marseille).
This has to be a big relief for the Teddy Bears who are rebuilding from scratch after years of disappointment. The 22-year-old centre-forward has been an integral part of Gerrard’s Rangers revolution and is labelled as the most lethal weapon of their attacking armoury.
Although the addition of veteran Jermain Defoe would ease the pressure off Morelos; the energy, agility and robustness injected by the Colombian high up the pitch would be tough to replicate. His exquisite run of form is not only a worrying sign for rivals like Celtic but also for the Rangers supporters who are rooting for him en route to reclaiming the lost crown.
“I dream every day of playing in the Premier League. I want to improve in each training session so I can get there.”
The player previously said this (via TalkSport) on his career goals following a maiden senior international call-up back in September, days after signing a new four-year deal at the Ibrox.
His remarkable scoring record must have drawn the attention of Premier League outfits, and a bid might be expected soon should he continues his blistering form in front of goal. The Premier League teams are capable of meeting Gerrard’s valuation of his prized asset, and a transfer might not be impossible even though it would be against the gaffer’s wishes.
Morelos, however, is likely to be retained at least until the end of the season which in itself is a massive statement of intent from the once-esteemed European powerhouse. The Gers now must aim bigger to make up the lost ground and emerge as a contender to Celtic once more following their surprise defeat to Killie yesterday.
