OPINION
After a highly successful January transfer window which has seen them bring in six players and strengthen their squad in every area, Rangers’ brilliant month is under threat after the club received two big-money bids for Alfredo Morelos.
As reported by the Scottish Sun, the Light Blues have fielded two bids from Chinese Super League leaders Guangzhou Evergrande for the 21-year-old striker, who is the Premiership’s top scorer with 11 goals so far.
The first, for £5.3million, was rejected straight away, before a second bid totalling £6.5million was subsequently submitted by cash-rich Guangzhou.
Rangers are thought to be mulling over this second offer, which would see them make a massive profit of around £5million on a player they purchased for just £1million.
As quoted by the Sun, manager Graeme Murty said: “Talks are ongoing, they haven’t met our valuation. We have to make a footballing decision based on whether we can resource someone of Alfredo’s footballing ability. I’ve not been told there is any economic necessity to move him away.”
While there is the suggestion that Rangers would prefer to keep Morelos, Murty has still left the door open to an exit for the Colombian, and that is a move that makes no sense for player or club.
Rangers will undoubtedly be making a handsome profit on a player that just joined six months ago, but the likelihood is that Morelos will go for that much in the summer anyway.
‘El Buffalo’ shows no signs of letting up his goalscoring form, and that will possibly even drive his price even farther up before the summer window.
It is his goals that have kept Rangers in a respectable position this season, and that have put them in a place where they can really challenge in the coming months.
To lose that would be disastrous.
There is no way that the club would be able to find a last-minute replacement who will score as many as the Colombian will between now and the end of the campaign.
New signing Jason Cummings would probably start if Morelos departs, but he has not played for most of the season after falling out of favour at Nottingham Forest.
From Morelos’ point-of-view, there is no reason for him to move to China (apart from money, of course).
The striker has already hinted that he will look for a move to the Premier League in the summer, and has always insisted he has ambitions to play for Colombia.
The move to China will put both of those eventualities in doubt.
It is unlikely that he will be selected for the national side while playing in such a minor league, with the country having several other options up front playing elsewhere.
And, it is doubtful that a Premier League side will look to sign him from a Chinese outfit, which means he will have to move back to Europe sometime in the future before that move can happen.
Why would he put both dreams in doubt for a lucrative contract in a league of poor standard?
The current situation is proving to be fruitful for all involved, so a move makes absolutely zero sense for both player and club.