Alfredo Morelos transfer state of play: Why former Rangers striker still hasn’t found a new club

It’s been 48 days since free agent Alfredo Morelos departed Rangers upon the expiry of his contract at the end of last season - but the Colombian still hasn’t found himself a new club.

Many Gers fans would have expected the 27-year-old striker, who has made no secret of the fact he wants to play European football, to be snapped up fairly quickly following his Ibrox exit back in June but he remains in the football wilderness two months on.

Morelos’ sensational goal scoring recod during his time in Govan spoke for itself and placed him in the club’s history books having become Rangers leading all-time European goal scorer.

Despite a dismal final season in Glasgow, Morelos has surprisingly struggled to lock down a new employer as leagues across Europe get underway. He now finds himself inadvertently in a transfer saga and training alone in an effort to maintain his fitness.

Speaking in his homeland earlier this summer, the talisman revealed that he had informed his agent - Martin Camagno - that he wanted to play in a top European league. He said: “I have made it clear I want to stay in Europe and play football there. We are currently working towards making that happen.”

State-of-play

Clubs such as Sevilla, Galatasaray and Watford had previously expressed an interest in the out-of-contract star, but with pre-season now over for the vast majority of clubs, it seems that a permanent return to South America could now be on the cards.

According to La Gazetta dello Sport, Brazilian strugglers Santos are considering a move for the former Light Blues hitman as they battle to keep hold of key attacker Marcos Leonardo, who is inching closer to joining Jose Mourinho’s Roma.

The Serie A outfit recently had a £15million offer turned down by Santos, but Leonardo has since refused to play for the club as he tries to force through a transfer to Italy. Should the player get his wish, reports suggest Morelos has been identified as a realitisic mid-season replacement with the market already closed in Brazil.

The opportunity to play for one of South America’s biggest clubs could appeal and present one of the best options currently on the table for Morelos. Add in Neymar’s imminent £69m move from Paris-Saint Germain to big-spending Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal and Santos - the club where he started his career - will land a bumper £3m windfall to ensure they could afford Morelos wages.

Another potential option could see Morelos offered a deal by Gremio to act as back-up for ex-Liverpool and Barcelona striker Luis Suarez, who has been plagued by injuries over the last 12 months as per a report from Brazilian outlet Tura TV.

Morelos’ agent adressed his client’s situation at the weekend, insisting there is also Premier League sides in Russia lining up a move, despite a switch to Spartak Moscow collapsing. Camagno stated: “I am negotiating with several top clubs from Russia who are interested in signing Alfredo Morelos. There is a very strong championship in Russia, which Alfredo looks at with great admiration.”

Morelos would remain on the fringes of European football in Russia, despite the country being locked out of UEFA competitions due to the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

Attitude and fitness concerns

Branded an “absolute joke” last year by BBC Scotland pundit Michael Stewart, Morelos’ performance levels dipped significantly last term and often came under the microscope. Dropped from the matchday squad by previous manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst 12 months ago for Rangers’ Champions League play-off tie against PSV Eindhoven due to concerns over his general condition, it was to mark the beginning of the end for his Gers career.

Looking disinterested at times and unwilling to fight for the jersey as he once did, the writing was on the wall for the hot-headed Colombian. Ibrox hero Neil McCann claimed his attitude was still a major cause for concern, stating: “His attitude whether that be to fitness, his discipline, whether that be his attitude to be properly switched on for opportunities is still so poor.

“You can see he’s a good guy off the pitch but I would much rather have an absolute horror of a guy off the pitch but a brilliant one on it. There’s been titans of this club who have been given criticism, so what right do guys like Morelos think they can go out and try now and again.”