George Overhill

Sun 12 March 2023 9:10, UK

Alfredo Morelos’ injury on international duty with Colombia last season looks to have cost Rangers millions in the transfer market amid news of an impending free transfer exit.

El Bufalo’s departure from Ibrox appears to be fast-approaching with Michael Beale having turned to Antonio Colak up front in the past two matches, and a pre-contract deal with Sevilla reported by Vamos Mi Sevilla on 10 March.

With less than four months left on his current Gers deal it was always looking likely, but as with Ryan Kent there has remained the possibility the club could conjure up a new contract at the death in the way they did with Connor Goldson last summer.

But the thigh surgery in early April last year looks to have been the key factor in likely making this final year in Glasgow a frustrating one, providing a cruel sliding-doors moment that derailed a fruitful transfer exit on a high.

That it knocked out the 26-year-old for the final weeks of the season and saw a Rangers side lose the Europa League final on penalties after lining up without a recognised striker, the injury may have robbed the club of a major European trophy and helped contribute to the demise of Giovanni van Bronckhorst.

Morelos found some of his best form in a Gers shirt under the Dutchman last season, with Roy Makaay’s influence thought to be key, leading to then-Colombia boss Reinaldo Rueda taking notice.

Despite the man who has scored a total of 122 Rangers goals having not featured for his national side since a cameo against Peru at the Copa America on 21 June 2021, Rueda called him back up to the squad in January last year.

Morelos ended up travelling nearly 15,000 miles only to sit out every game as the manager opted not to use him, missing the 3-0 defeat at Celtic Park on 2 February ultimately for no reason.

The Bears are arguably yet to recover from that result domestically, but Rueda insisted he had “no regrets” [Daily Record, 2 February 2022], and went on to select Morelos again the next month.

He was then injured in training before the 24 March win over Bolivia, meaning he never did play for his country again, and the subsequent surgery meant he was not fully fit until after the start of the current season.

That put paid to any summer market to sign him for a fee that could feasibly have run to a few million, in what it has since proven would have been the best time for him to move on.

With Beale’s squad in need of major surgery still in the summer, and the board under fire for a lack of transfer funds, it will be all the more galling to see a player who has been a star at times in Scotland depart as somewhat of an afterthought, and bring in no money to strengthen.

Douglas Park and his hierarchy have questions to answer but this situation is one that they will equally be cursing, with nobody involved coming out a winner.

Colombia failed to qualify for the Qatar World Cup and Rueda left his job as national team boss before the end of March last year, so his pair of needless call ups achieved nothing positive.

Had Morelos not been selected and flown thousands of miles to receive no caps then perhaps he never picked up that injury, maybe he scores the winning goal in the Europa League final, and Sevilla send a valuable fee to Ibrox in the summer window having seen him lift the trophy in their own stadium.

Of course none of that happened, and the false dawn of the goalscorer’s international career looks like it was the turning point.

In other Rangers news, one man who was recently spotted at Auchenhowie can now save Beale some of those millions.