Gordon Smith has claimed that “big clubs” will avoid trying to sign Rangers forward Alfredo Morelos due to his poor disciplinary record.
Morelos, 22, was sent off for the third time this season in the Gers’ 1-0 defeat to Aberdeen last week and his absence at the weekend saw his team-mates struggle to a 1-1 draw with lowly Dundee at Dens Park.
The one-time Colombia international has been linked with leaving Ibrox since Pedro Caixinha signed him last year for £1million from HJK Helsinki, however ex-Rangers director of football Smith believes that those bigger sides will not bother trying to sign him now that his disciplinary record is getting worse.
“As things stand, I can’t see any really big club signing him. Not when the scouts sent up to watch him will be reporting back all about his flash temper. And they will, to protect their own reputations as much as anything.” Smith said on the Sunday Post website.
“When there are other targets out there who can keep a lid on their emotions, he just isn’t worth the risk.”
OPINION
When Morelos is having a good day, it is a joy to behold. So far this season, the £30,000-a-week (Football Insider) Colombian has had a lot more good days than bad ones. He has scored 17 goals and supplied 10 assists in 29 appearances across all competitions for Rangers this season. He has picked up 10 yellow cards and three reds in that time, but it is getting to the point where the Gers really suffer when he is not available, like on Sunday in the draw at struggling Dundee. Gerrard needs to have a good think about this in January. Kyle Lafferty is struggling to be anywhere near as good as Morelos while other attack-minded players in the squad are also not hitting the target as Gerrard would probably like. Morelos is definitely worth keeping, if big clubs want him or not. We will likely see his discipline improve soon if Gerrard is as a good a manager we think he is. If the Colombian carries on getting himself in the referee’s bad books, then questions need to be raised about how Gerrard is dealing with the hot-headed forward.