Rangers battle to keep Alfredo Morelos could be defined by any of these five factors
Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos will enter the final 12 months of his current deal at Ibrox next season and talks will begin soon over a renewal.
The Colombian is vital to Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s setup and his absence was badly felt during his time on international duty at the end of January into early February.
With just a year left on his deal when next season rolls around, it is probably right to assume he will be one of the players on the radar of many teams across Europe.
With negotiations set to begin, here are five factors that could play into Morelos’ decision regarding his future.
Champions League football
It’s the dream for every professional footballer in Europe to play in the biggest continental competition in World football and Morelos is no different.
If Rangers fail to win the Scottish Premiership this season, he can forget those dreams for another year and that will be the biggest factor in his final decision.
Finances
On both sides of the talks, this will be a major breaking point. Morelos will want an incentivised contract and one much bigger than his current deal but can the Light Blues’ afford it.
Having just brought in Aaron Ramsey on high wages, even though Juventus are paying the majority, there might not be the leftover wonga to afford an improved deal for the 25-year-old.
Premier League
It’s been another dream of Morelos’ to play in the English Premier League and if he becomes available, there will no doubt be a lot of teams who move for the Colombian.
Whether that be paying for him in the summer or waiting to snap him up on a free later down the line is as yet unknown but the invasion is coming.
Enjoying Glasgow life
“I feel very happy in Glasgow, as do my family. My daughter is really settled here, I feel very pleased. Rangers really welcomed me when I joined, as did the fans, so I feel really happy here,” Morelos said in an interview with Sky Sports two weeks ago.
That is maybe something that the club can use to swing the pendulum their way but it is going to take more than the Glasgow life to keep him at Ibrox.
Lack of replacements
He could even use his stature in the squad as leverage for a better deal as neither Cedric Itten nor Kemar Roofe have adequately filled the void whenever Morelos is unavailable.
van Bronckhorst needs to sort out a replacement pronto because he could be left woefully short if the Colombian heads elsewhere in the near future.
In other Rangers news, there’s been an update regarding this goalkeeper linked with Ibrox and it’s encouraging news.