Chris Sutton has suggested that Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos is worth as much as former Celtic striker Moussa Dembele, but only if he learns to curb his temper.
The Colombian has hit 28 goals in all competitions this season, signing a new deal with the Gers on Friday, and former Hoops man Sutton has admitted that he could fetch a fee somewhere in the region of the £19.7 million paid for Dembele by Lyon last summer.
Speaking on BT Sport’s official Twitter account, Sutton said: “Not the same temperament as Dembele, and temperament is his issue. There’s no doubting that he’s such a talented player.
“What his value is to Rangers, that’s why they’ve tied him down to a three year deal. If you’re Rangers, comparing him to what Dembele did in Scottish football you’d say, ‘yeah we want as much’.
“But that’s if he stays on the pitch. He’s petulant. There is a player in there, but I don’t know if he’s ever going to change, but I like him, he’s a handful.”
How much is Morelos worth?
"The chairman has put him in the same bracket as Dembele."@Chris_Sutton73: "There's no doubt that he's a talented player. They're right to ask for as much as Dembele got.."https://t.co/wHq9HHbQze
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 8, 2019
OPINION
There is no reason why Morelos shouldn’t fetch just as much as Dembele did when he left Scotland. The Colombian has been in red hot form this season, and there is no doubting that he is one of, if not the, hottest property north of the border right now. He could easily cut it at a higher level than the one he is playing at now, but now that he has that new deal under his belt, the hope will be that Rangers can hang onto him until they properly feel that they have been reimbursed for his services. The fee will, when it does inevitably come, have to be high given his current form, and upwards of £20 million would be no big surprise. As for the issue of his temperament, there are clearly some issues with the way that he conducts himself on the field, but honestly, it feels as if the constant attention it is being given by media is making it into a much bigger mountain than it needs to be. He will grow out of his petulance in time.