There is an increasingly strong battle to sign Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos this summer, according to a fresh update surrounding his future.
Is Morelos leaving Rangers?
The 26-year-old has proven to be a hugely popular player at Ibrox down the years, not only catching the eye with his quality, but also his huge, at times controversial, character. He has scored 124 goals in 268 appearances for the Gers, as well as registering 58 assists, and he has been a talismanic figure at times.
This season hasn't always been as productive for Morelos, but he has still netted 11 times in 14 starts in the Scottish Premiership – 31 appearances overall – and made five outings in the Champions League.
The £33,000-a-week striker's current Rangers deal expires at the end of this season and it looks almost certain that he will move on to pastures new. He may feel that he has come as far as he can at the club, with a new challenge required at this stage in his career.
Are clubs interested in signing Morelos?
According to journalist Dominik Schneider on Twitter [via Sport Witness], a number of European clubs are showing an interest in snapping up Morelos during the summer transfer window:
"Excl. Numerous clubs (among others #Fenerbahce + #FCSevilla as reported) in contact with Alfredo #Morelos. Clubs from upper third of #Bundesliga table interested in forward of #RangersFC. Contract expires, 26-year-old is free in summer."
This update only further suggests that Morelos will no longer be a Rangers player next season, with a move to somewhere else in Europe on the cards. It is hard to begrudge him a move away, in truth, with the 11-cap Colombia international someone who has been compared to Luis Suarez by former Gers manager Steven Gerrard, in terms of the "fire" he possesses in his game.
He will be a loss at Ibrox, without question, especially considering the peak years of his career could still be ahead of him, but on the plus side, Rangers will be getting one of the highest-earning players off their wage bill. That should hopefully generate funds for new signings, with a number of incoming faces required this summer, in order to close the gap on Celtic.
The void that Morelos could leave means that a new striker is essential, and it is imperative that they pick wisely, acquiring the services of someone who can deliver end product at a similar rate.