Alfredo Morelos attitude to Rangers resolution emerges as Giovanni van Bronckhorst plans talks
Dropped Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos still feels fully part of the club and is eager to make amends with the fans and his manager, says The 4th Official.
The Colombian was dropped from the squad to face PSV Eindhoven in the crucial qualifying second leg with the Champions League group stage on the line last week, after his red card 13 minutes after coming on in the 2-2 draw with Hibernian on 20 August.
That apparently brought to a head mounting concerns over his fitness and attitude on his long return from thigh surgery in March, with talks over a new contract subsequently put on hold raising fears of a swift exit, with The Athletic reporting on 24 August that Sevilla were eyeing a January pre-contract deal to take advantage.
But a source close to the player has reportedly told T4O, via a post on Patreon Saturday night (27 August), that is not the 26-year-old’s outlook.
Their latest report says: “The Colombian is raring to prove himself to the fans again. He feels that he is a part of this team and wants to show his commitment to Gio by firing on the field.”
From the manager’s point of view, he spoke after the 4-0 SPFL victory over Ross County on Saturday to confirm that talks with Morelos over the situation will occur in the coming days and confirmed there is a future at that club for him [Sky Sports].
Building bridges
Everybody knows that player and coach can function together to great effect if things are going well, as was proven for large parts of last season.
It was El Bufalo’s excellent form under his then-new coach, with Gio and Roy Makaay’s influence credited as raising his game further, that had pushed him into international squads that ultimately derailed his campaign.
The concern for fans, and indeed teammates, in this situation centres almost entirely around the attitudes involved.
In the first instance it looks like Morelos’ needed a shock of sorts to get him focused on professionalism, and having let that slip it was going to depend on how willing the manager was to reconcile, and whether he had taken offence at being dropped.
The bosses own words, and this latest report from the other side, suggests they both have their eyes on the same goal so there looks to be a good chance that the man who has scored over 100 goals for Rangers in the past five and a bit seasons can be readmitted to the squad.
It would of course be easier if Morelos hadn’t caused the issue in the first place, and the great goalscoring form of new signing Antonio Colak has greatly eased the risk, but with Kemar Roofe out injured the Gers are currently just one knock to the Croatian international away from a striker crisis.
So the signs are good for a key man to be welcomed back into the fold.
In other Rangers news, there are new talks expected on Sunday over a late, late signing with the club in the driving seat to push the price down.