Alfredo Morelos Rangers legacy intact but Beale was spot on

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It’s looking increasingly unlikely that Rangers will live to regret Alfredo Morelos’ departure this summer. 

While the Colombian international has left a void in attack that Michael Beale is actively trying to fill, he remains without a club with his mooted destinations massively underwhelming for a player, who was once coveted by clubs across Europe’s top leagues. 

Morelos was perennially linked with transfer exits across his six years at Rangers and while contriving potential destinations felt like a modified game of pin the tail on the donkey, played on a world map - there was genuine interest, especially from Lille in the summer of 2020. 

Rangers' board and Steven Gerrard felt the player was worth a similar fee to the £20m paid by Lyon to Celtic for Moussa Dembele and played hardball over a £16.5m bid. In retrospect that looks good business but few disagreed with their logic at the time given the player's form, age and length of contract.

While it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that a decent European club will take a punt on Morelos in the coming weeks, current links to Azerbaijan and Russia would represent a serious downgrade for the striker. 

Now 27, Morelos should be entering his peak years but there’s a feeling that he’s regressed across the last two seasons.

His exit will sting less than Ryan Kent’s from a financial perspective as he more than reimbursed the £1 million Rangers paid HJK Helsinki and his record as Rangers top European goalscorer is testament to that.

But despite losing the £7m investment in Kent, it's Morelos’ departure that stirs more emotions given the stronger relationship he built with supporters. 

READ MORE: Abdallah Sima's transfer solves long-term Rangers problem - Four Lads

History will reflect fondly on Morelos’ time in Glasgow but his unprofessionalism across recent seasons left a sour taste and, ultimately, prevented him from fulfilling his potential.

Multiple managers were frustrated by his antics, which included fluctuating weight, late returns from breaks away and a fondness for the Glasgow nightlife. Even mild-mannered Giovanni van Bronckhorst's patience finally snapped at the start of the season and the Colombian was omitted from the squad that travelled to play PSV and ultimately reached the Champions League. A source at the club said the issues around Morelos were further highlighted by the addition of clean-living uber-professional Antonio Colak whose physique was said to be "like a Calvin Klein model". Morelos did not come near to that standard of conditioning and it was now being noted.

When fully motivated though, Morelos was often unstoppable and revelled in ragdolling opposition defences. He thrived on the European stage, when the spotlight was upon him, and important goals against Porto, Feyenoord and Dortmund will enter club folklore. 

His trademark knee-slide celebration on a dreich night under the lights consolidated his place in the hearts of supporters and that affection was laid bare with the rapturous ovation the Ibrox faithful afforded him on his last game in Light Blue. 

Morelos was Rangers’ talisman for years but it’s difficult to construct a convincing argument against it being the correct decision to part ways this summer. 

Talks were underway about a new deal after Seville with sources indicating that the club were confident a new deal could be struck last summer. That died down as time wore on, with talks breaking down in the early Autumn. By then, it was clear that a departure was the most likely outcome and when Michael Beale took over there was never likely to be a change to that set course. 

The writing was on the wall for El Buffalo well before official confirmation of his departure with Beale’s cutting words following a cameo appearance against Aberdeen signalling the end of an eventful road. 

“I think you saw a difference when Alfredo came on in terms of energy, but not a positive difference,” Beale fumed. 

Passions run high in the immediate aftermath of games, and managers have little time to evaluate fully but the point was made starkly, a public glimpse into private reflections. Just a few days after his criticism, Beale’s warmth towards Morelos was evident when he reflected on the striker’s time at Rangers.

“His legacy? He was part of an invincible league winning side and that won’t happen for a long, long time," Beale said. “Or ever again. He was a key part of that team and he’s also now the club’s record European goalscorer.

“We paid £800,000 for an unknown boy from Helsinki and now he’s known in every Rangers household. So he’s a player that we will look back on in time with real fondness.

“I will have a lot of fond memories about working with him. Just because you make one comment about one performance doesn’t change that. It is what it is and I’ll be honest, I’ve said a lot worse about him.

“He’s changed as a player and he’s changed as a man," Beale added. “He’s become a dad and a husband and he’s changed. I first met him a long time ago now and a lot has happened to him. I love the aggressive and the robust Alfredo. Then he became a slightly different player, a real link-up player.

“We were very successful in that period and now, he’s an even different player to then, if you like. A lot of his work outside the box maybe isn’t appreciated.

“Now is maybe a moment for someone like Alfredo to cut himself free and try something new. It will give energy in his life and give someone else the chance to come in and fill a big void.”

Beale surmised the situation perfectly - it was right for all everyone to part ways this summer.

Morelo’s name will forever be etched in the history books at Ibrox and while his contributions should never be forgotten, it still seems right to embrace a new era under Beale without him.