Chris Jack reacts to mooted Alfredo Morelos return with Rangers in ‘desperate need’ after Santos free transfer release
Alfredo Morelos is not likely to be returning to Rangers following his release from Santos as it wouldn’t be the right move for either side, according to Chris Jack.
The journalist said on Rangers Review on 14 December that while the club are “in desperate need” of help up front, in light of Danilo’s long-term injury on top of the general struggles in attack, the Colombian is not set to be the man as he is well past his best and his career in Glasgow didn’t end well.
The 27-year-old’s release clause was officially triggered at the relegated Brazilian club on 13 December and he will be available from the start of January [Glasgow Times] but Jack has dismissed the chance for a Light Blues reunion.
Jack said (25m 55s): “Not for me no. If we were bringing back the peak Alfredo… that terrorised Europa League defences and was scoring against Porto and Feyenoord then by all means, but I fear that Morelos is gone and never to be seen again…
“It shows that Rangers are in desperate need of more goals and another striker but the last few months of Morelos’ Rangers career were not good. People were asking huge questions over his form and his fitness…
“If you could guarantee you would get a fully-fit and a fully-firing Morelos back it would be a no-brainer because I think he’d be far better than what we’ve got at present but I think the days of that level of Morelos are gone unfortunately…
“Interesting to see where he ends up but I don’t think it will be at Ibrox and I don’t think it would be the right move for him or from a Rangers perspective.”
Sadly true
Morelos at his best would never have left Rangers in the low-key circumstances he did just a few months ago, nor would he be available to return this quickly.
That he only found a new club with the embattled Brazilians months after he departed Glasgow shows he isn’t that player now, and after very little football in Brazil it is highly unlikely that he would have improved from the middling form he showed in the final months at Ibrox.
Rangers don’t really have the luxury of ruling out any options at this stage but it is hard to see how the current Morelos is going to be much of an improvement on the struggling current options, with the added baggage of appearing to take a big step backwards by the club.
The board indicated at the AGM that they were ready to back Philippe Clement in the transfer window [Rangers Review, 5 December], and with Danilo now out for the majority of the season they are going to have to back that up.
It looks hard to see any takers for Cyriel Dessers or Sam Lammers in the summer so the hierarchy are bound to be wary of loading the squad up with too many forwards that all need paying week after week, even if Kemar Roofe seems likely to depart at the end of his contract.
That would help boost the chances of short-term loans or free transfers and stranger things have happened in football, but even so three games and no goals for a Santos side relegated for the first time in their history doesn’t scream saviour.
In other Rangers news, the man expected to be first on the list for the Gers in the January window has been named.