What’s happened with Alfredo Morelos?

With the big summer window upon us, Rangers and Steven Gerrard have been underway in earnest with securing new players, scouting targets and offloading a few of the unneeded and unwanted.

However, one player, significantly hyped over the past season due to his stats (and behaviour) whose global stock has gone notably quiet in recent weeks is Alfredo Morelos.

A ‘sure sale’ only a month ago, Morelos’ desirability appears to have somewhat plummeted, and despite murmurs to the contrary in the media, not a single bid for his services appears to have been planned, far less arrived.

Indeed, Gerrard confirmed just one bid has been submitted in his time as manager, and that was a £2.5M offer from either Marseille or Nice. It was of course rejected out of hand, but since then, despite claims of big money moves for his signature, it’s all gone really very quiet.

And there are evidently three reasons for this.

Morelos’ disciplinary record this season is officially the worst in Europe. Five red cards is some kind of record, albeit we cannot recall if it’s just the worst in Europe or the worst European sending off haul in history. Teams are less keen on a player who can’t stay on the pitch.

Secondly the worst red card of the lot was the Celtic incident, and once he found himself suspended for four matches (and this time no one had an iota of defence for him including his manager) the game was up – who would want a player who lets his team mates down like this on the huge occasions?

And thirdly his omission from the Colombian CONCACAF squad for this summer was probably the worst. From a rising star of Colombian football to completely whitewashed for a huge South American tournament for Carlos Queiroz’ first serious first of the Coffee Men gig.

But you know what? For all his faults, and Morelos has many, there has been a bit of groundswell to see him stay – if we’re only going to get modest million, what’s the point in selling Scotland’s top scorer?

Morelos certainly has issues, no denying that, but pound for pound he’s the best striker in the SPL, and if he can get some help, if Steven Gerrard and Rangers can coax some discipline and a better attitude from him, maybe he’s an asset worth keeping.

Rangers with an on-form Alfredo Morelos who actually wants to be here is a better prospect than without, arguably, despite the stellar form over the split without him.

It’s a tricky one for sure, but either way, the hubbub around him certainly died down recently.