Glasgow Rangers lost a host of attacking players during last summer under Michael Beale, who, if truth be told, were not properly replaced.
Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos left after their contracts expired, while Antonio Colak and Fashion Sakala – despite being fairly one dimensional, scored 30 goals between them – were sold by Beale in order to raise funds for future arrivals.
Overall, these four players scored 45 goals combined last season, something which Beale had to replace in the summer.
Aside from Cyriel Dessers, who has found the back of the net on 20 occasions since joining, and Abdallah Sima, the other summer recruits have failed to really give the club much going forwards.
Danilo has missed most of the season due to injury, while Sam Lammers was so poor, Philippe Clement ended up sending him out on loan to FC Utrecht, where he has scored nine goals in just 16 Eredivisie matches since February.
While the other three were dispensable, especially Kent, following his poor final season in front of goal, it was clear Beale made a mistake allowing Morelos to leave.
How much Alfredo Morelos cost Rangers
The summer of 2017 proved to be a disastrous one for Rangers. Pedro Caixinha, who was appointed as manager in March, made a total of 11 new signings, which ranged from the expensive flop Carlos Pena to a bargain move for Ryan Jack.
Combine this with the fact that Caixinha failed to lead Rangers beyond the first qualifying round of the Europa League, losing 2-1 on aggregate to Luxembourg side Progres Niederkorn, it was clear his managerial spell wasn’t going to last long.
Season
Games
Goals
2022/23
48
12
2021/22
42
18
2020/21
44
17
2019/20
47
29
2018/19
48
30
2017/18
43
18
There weren’t many reasons to be cheerful as a supporter, but the acquisition of Morelos for a fee of just £1m from Finnish side HJK Helsinki.
The Colombian had scored 46 goals in just 62 appearances in Finland and Caixinha was certainly hoping he could replicate this type of form in Scotland throughout the 2017/18 campaign.
Over the next six seasons, Morelos would exceed all expectations and then some.
Alfredo Morelos’ Rangers statistics
Morelos scored 18 goals in his maiden season at Ibrox, certainly proving to be worth the £1m that was paid to sign him, and he would go from strength to strength.
Tallies of 30 and 29 goals saw him emerge as one of the finest signings the Light Blues had made since returning to the top flight in 2016.
It wasn’t just his performances domestically which were impressive, but under Steven Gerrard, the Colombian striker was a feared presence in European competition.
The 2019/20 Europa League competition certainly proved it. Across 17 games in both qualifying and the main tournament, the centre-forward scored 14 times as the Gers lost to Bayer Leverkusen in the last 16.
A few months later, Morelos would go on to make history. His goal against Benfica during the group stage of the 2020/21 competition saw him become the highest ever goal scorer in Europe for the Ibrox side, with his 22nd effort surpassing the total of club legend Ally McCoist, who had terrorised defences on the continent during his 15-year spell at Rangers.
By the end of his time in Glasgow, Morelos had netted 29 goals in Europe, further extending his advantage over McCoist, but he couldn’t add to that tally in the Champions League last season.
His final campaign in Scotland saw the 27-year-old score just 12 times in all competitions as he battled fitness problems, and it appeared he was looking to move on when his contract expired.
In reality, he should have left for a big transfer fee a couple of years previously when he was in his prime at the club. Failing to extend his contract was certainly a mistake, especially as his market value has risen recently since departing Rangers.
Alfredo Morelos’ current market value
A few years ago, Morelos was a target for quite a few clubs on the continent, with Gerrard even rejecting a bid of around £16.25m from French side Lille in the summer of 2020 for their prized asset.
Hailed as a “nightmare for defenders” by one former Premiership opponent back in 2019, Morelos failed to really recover from an injury sustained while on international duty in April 2022, thus ruling him out of the Scottish Cup and Europa League finals.
He looked a shadow of his former self when returning the following season before leaving last May. A few years ago, clubs were queuing up to secure his signature, but he had to wait a few weeks in order to make his next move.
Following what was a surprise move to Santos, Morelos has scored just three goals in 13 games for the iconic Brazilian club, which counts Pele, Neymar, and Robinho as former alumni.
They were relegated at the end of last season; therefore, the Colombian will be aiming to fire them back to the top flight at the first time of asking.
Despite his poor form, Morelos’ market value means Rangers made a big mistake in letting him go for free. According to Transfermarkt, the striker is now currently valued at €4m (£3.5) and this could rise steadily if he begins to score on a frequent basis.
It’s a far cry from the €15m (£12.9m) he was valued at in 2020 following his wonderful season, but there is no doubt if he can return to this sort of form in Brazil, the striker could soon start to garner plenty of interest.
Much will depend on his attitude and whether he wants another crack in Europe. Poor fitness and mindset certainly disrupted his progress during the final two years at Ibrox.
If he can battle these demons and continue to showcase his true talents, Morelos could be a good signing for a number of sides.
Turning down a bid of nearly £17m four years ago showed that Gerrard believed in his main centre-forward, but he has since failed to ever match those lofty heights. Perhaps the club should have struck when the iron was hot.
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