Rangers’ star Alfredo Morelos is being linked with a move away from the club and reports from Portuguese outlet Maisfutebol (via the Scottish Sun) suggest that the striker is edging closer to a move to Porto. Recently, Rangers rejected a transfer bid for Morelos from Serie A club Cagliari.
Alfredo Morelos has turned out to be a hot subject this transfer window, with clubs like Cagliari, Porto, and Nice all interested to get hold of the Colombian. Previously, the Italian side Cagliari saw their bid of £8m getting rejected and it is now being reported that Porto is the front-runner in acquiring his services.
The Columbian’s departure would be a huge blow to the Rangers as their chances of winning silverware next season would go significantly down. The striker, during his time at the club, has scored 95 goals and 43 assists in all competitions. He also broke Ally McCoist’s record for being their record goalscorer in Europe, so to lose him would not be ideal for the club.
However, the Rangers have their stance firm knowing the value of the player, and are not interested in letting him go for cheap. A reported price tag of £20m is placed on his head, so he will cost a hefty fee which does put a cushion for the club financially.
FC Porto have been in contact with the player and his agent Michael Gorman, who is currently in Portugal to analyse their offer at the moment. Rangers are in a strong position to cash in on the player if he decides to move on this summer, which is likely given the interest from clubs playing Champions League next season.
The 24-year-old was heavily linked with French club Lille last summer, but a deal couldn’t broker between the clubs as Lille would not pay the asking sum for the player. The Colombian striker is currently on international duty for Copa America but was left out of the Colombian squad for their 0-0 draw against Venezuela on Thursday night.
The recent signing of Fashion Sakala does indicate that the Rangers have their plan in place if they fail to keep Morelos at Ibrox. Nevertheless, the Gers will still be desperate to hold onto their star striker, despite adding a new striker to their squad.
It is evident that the player has his mindset on a move away from the Ibrox, Porto, who are well known for their display of courage and strength in the Champions League, will welcome the striker with open arms. It’s a sticky situation for the club trying to convince the striker to stay as he is their most priced asset and their main man on forwarding lines. A move from Rangers to Porto is a step up, no doubt and it will be an experience for the striker himself in a different league and country.
A bid of around £22 million would be enough for Porto to sign Alfredo Morelos, as the Rangers are not willing to let him go for less, which was quite evident in the last summer window with Lille. So the onus now rests on the player and his agent to secure a deal for a move away from the Gers.
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