Rangers stunner as key man defies Steven Gerrard

Just two days after Steven Gerrard told the press Alfredo Morelos is going nowhere in January and two days before the Old Firm crunch at Ibrox, Rangers’ star man has defied his boss by admitting he wants to go to England.

Next month.

Gerrard has been adamant that his best player was staying, no matter the offer (rather contradicting his own claim that all his players have a price) and that was final. He said:

“So we’re really pleased with him. All good players around the world receive interest and bids – that’s football. I won’t turn my phone off. I’ll listen to what (interested clubs) have to say. He’s going nowhere and that’s the message.”

But his key forward has now defied that by reiterating his desire to move to England:

“It’s very likely there are several teams looking at me and that there will be offers, but there is nothing concrete yet. I have to wait until the last game of the year is played and will try to end 2018 in a positive way. My dream is to play in the English Premier League. It’s very similar to the football in Scotland. I know that if I continue like this by scoring goals with Rangers, a new opportunity will come. I am aware that if I do things right, the call will come.”

If ever a player was as blatant as this, we can’t remember – if Gerrard wants to keep Morelos, he will have to defy the player’s own wishes and reject bids.

Meaning, sadly, a huffy player who didn’t get the move he wanted. And that won’t work. Ask Celtic and Dembele.

If a bid from an EPL team comes in to Rangers’ satisfaction from January 1st onwards, Morelos will leave.

But Stevie will not be happy that only a couple of days following his conviction he was not going to sell Morelos, the player himself has contradicted that.

He is also pretty clear – he wants to leave next month.

In Morelos’ defence, he has never committed himself to Ibrox. He signed deals but never once said he was happy to commit his future to Govan. Best we got was his testimony that he wanted to stay at Ibrox ‘for as long as possible’.

By signing those deals he gave Rangers protection on the fee – meaning he would cost more for suitors. And that was something he didn’t have to do.

In all honesty he’ll leave with our best wishes – he did us a turn, used us, as we did him, and now he wants the Promised Land of the EPL.

But Gerrard won’t be happy.