Rangers star Alfredo Morelos wanted in January deal for free transfer exit amid controversy
Sevilla want to sign Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos to a January pre-contract agreement ahead of a 2023 exit, according to The Athletic.
The 26-year-old has been dropped for the huge Wednesday (24 August) clash with PSV in Eindhoven, as fitness and attitude concerns came to a head following his red card at Hibernian at the weekend.
There had previously been suggestions that the Spanish side were looking to sign the Colombian this summer, as his contract entered its final 12 months, although reports from Spain [El Chiringuito TV] that an approach had been made were disputed in Scotland.
The Gers had been in talks over a new contract but these plans have currently been shelved, again raising the prospect of an Ibrox exit, potentially now for free next summer.
In the Athletic story on the ongoing controversy, Jordan Campbell writes: “Morelos opened up his agency representation to a Spanish-based company and it is understood that Sevilla are interested in landing him on a pre-contract this winter.”
Circling
Unless the relationships that are currently being strained can be mended before his contract enters the last six months in the winter the chances of this happening unfortunately look quite strong.
While issues around discipline will no doubt put off various teams, as Campbell suggests it has for English Premier League sides, long-term admirers will already be aware of Morelos’ history in Glasgow.
There was surely interest during the current window, and were it not for his recovery from thigh surgery in March we may have seen the Bears’ resolve tested with some proper bids.
But unless or until he signed a new deal any of the clubs who were interested in him would have been sniffing around over the next few months with an eye to starting talks over a free transfer.
Their hopes of him reaching the stage when such negotiations are permitted would have been slim when it was confirmed in recent weeks that talks were ongoing.
Now though those have been at best delayed, and the window to get an agreement reached before January will be much smaller if they ever resume.
It would be an inauspicious end to an eventful but effective Gers career for the man who has scored over 100 goals at the club if he were to spend this season out of the side and depart for nothing in the summer.
In other Rangers news, there are otherwise only two players in the entire squad who have no role under Giovanni van Bronckhorst.