Why Alfredo Morelos Has Got What It Takes To Lead The Rangers Line Up In The Near Future
Having sealed a deal for Colombian striker Alfredo Morelos, Rangers fans will be hoping the club have made the right decision.
The Ibrox club have been desperate for a proper goal scorer and the Helsinki striker may yet be the man for the job. He will certainly be able to hit the ground running, given that he is match fit from playing for Helsinki in their 2017 season.
11 goals in 12 games is certainly an excellent return for the 21-year-old and he looks ready for a step up now. Morelos is eager to make his debut in the Europa League qualifiers against Progres Niederkorn of Luxembourg but he knows that his place is not guaranteed.
Fellow new boy Eduardo Herrera plays in the same position as Morelos and the Mexican is equally keen to make his mark at Ibrox. The Colombian though looks to be in pole position going into the pre-season programme and given his age, there is a feeling that he will get better and better as the campaign progresses.
If there is one advantage of the Scottish leagues, it’s that you won’t need to spend a fortune to bring in a player who can make a huge difference.
Morelos’ 16 goals in 30 league appearances for HJK while on loan in Finland as just a 19-year-old was impressive enough, but his 11 in 12 so far this year has marked him out as a prolific goal-getter given the right service.
The new signings in the Rangers squad, allied with what quality was already there, will ensure that he will get plenty of chances next season and he has proved already that when they come, he will put them away. Of course, Rangers need someone of genuine quality to do the business against Celtic and it remains to be seen whether that is Morelos.
The fact that he made it to under-20 level with Colombia means there is a chance the full national side have hopes of him being good enough to represent them at the Copa America or World Cup, and that would mean Rangers having a proper player on their hands.
What happens in the Old Firm games will remain a mystery until September, but from what we’ve seen so far, it seems Morelos can make mincemeat of other defences in the Scottish Premiership.