Kris Commons: Alfredo Morelos wants Rangers exit
Rangers are not playing in the Champions League this season, and Kris Commons reckons the likes of Alfredo Morelos want out of Ibrox.
The Scottish champions were eliminated by Malmo in the third qualifying round of the competition, missing out on the huge financial boost that would have come with landing a place in the group stages.
Rangers now face an uncertainty over the future of some of their stars, and Commons believes one or two major exits are on the cards at Ibrox before the end of the summer transfer window.
The Sky Sports pundit wrote in his Scottish Daily Mail column: “The implications for Rangers of not getting to the Champions League group stage are huge. It changes the dynamics within the club.
“If you do reach them, you are suddenly in a position of massive strength with tens of millions of pounds at your disposal. Potentially the likes of Alfredo Morelos, Ryan Kent or James Tavernier could leave if acceptable offers come in.
“Gerrard has already acknowledged that when he spoke in the wake of the 4-2 aggregate defeat to Malmo. But players could also leave if they decide they want to be playing Champions League football and they’re not going to be getting that at Rangers.
“Morelos will always be the most obvious one because it’s not the first or the last time he has spoken about wanting to play at a higher level. He wants to leave for a club in the Champions League or he fancies the lure of the English Premier League.”
Very possible
Morelos has been linked with Porto all summer, and while the Portuguese are yet to table a bid, an exit cannot be ruled out.
The Colombian striker took to his personal Instagram account to post his goalscoring heroics after the second-leg despite the defeat, and that says a lot about his state of mind.
We doubt if he put Rangers first after he decided to enjoy his extended break instead of cutting it short to return early for the first-leg.
He has not submitted a transfer request yet, but the fans will not be surprised if he does.
Some Premier League and La Liga players featured in the opening weekend of their campaign despite playing in the Olympic final just a week ago, and we need to see that type of commitment and dedication from Morelos.
While we will forever appreciate his services, we have not been seeing a player who is solely dedicated to Rangers for a while.
The club are not likely to stand in his way if he wants out, but the offers have not been forthcoming from his Premier League and Champions League suitors, and we could be stuck with him for the season.
In other Rangers news, Ross Wilson instructs agent of Bears ace to find him new club.