Ibrox View: Int’l teammate of Rangers big name could be perfect man to replace Morelos
RANGERS OPINION
There is every chance that come the summer transfer window, whenever that may be, Rangers will have to find a new striker.
Speculation over Alfredo Morelos’ future at Ibrox has been rife for some time now, and a recent report from Football Insider – stating that the club are set to abandon their hopes of tying down the 23-year-old to a new deal – will do little to convince supporters that he will still be a Ger next term.
And that presents an obvious problem for the Light Blues, because replacing Morelos will be no easy task.
He may have dropped off in form since the new year, scoring just once in all competitions, but he was on fire before the midseason break, and finding somebody else who could match his 28 strikes will be a gargantuan asking.
Glasgow Live think they have found a suitable candidate in Bordeaux striker Josh Maja, however.
The ex-Sunderland man is an international teammate of Ibrox star Joe Aribo, and has scored eight goals across 24 appearances for the Ligue 1 side this term.
Despite that, he has struggled to establish himself as a first team regular in France, and the report suggests that he could be open to a summer transfer.
But does he have the chops to replace El Bufalo?
Surprisingly, the answer might be yes.
So far this season, Maja has averaged 0.62 goals per game to Morelos’ 0.73, as per Wyscout.
Crucially, however, he has reached that figure from an xG of just 0.31, compared to the Colombian’s 0.72, meaning that he is a much more efficient finisher than the Rangers man, and he puts away chances that he isn’t even expected to.
Similarly, his shot accuracy rate is 6.7% higher than Morelos’, and his dribbles success rate is 9.1% higher.
Is he the finished article? No, of course not.
But does he show enough potential to suggest he could enjoy the same kind of meteoric rise that the South American did at Ibrox? Absolutely, yes.
In other Rangers news, ‘How?’ – Chris Sutton baffled by latest Ibrox report.