The Alfredo Morelos saga is set for another twist this week as Santos get set for life in Brazil’s second tier.
El Bufalo’s life would make some story but the Colombian international will be hoping to put his own annus horribilus behind him and get back to doing what he does best, starting against Botafogo tonight.
Reports of a new contract have yet to be confirmed despite other announcements by Santos with Alfredo Morelos charged with firing them back into Serie A.
Alfredo Morelos has Santos second chance to kick start career
One less obstacle is Marcos Leonardo who has joined Benfica for for £15.5m and already looks like he could be a bargain with a debut goal.
The biggest issue in 2023 for Morelos was fitness.
The 27-year old has never been a natural athlete so having long periods of inactivity added to missing a full pre-season did nothing for his sharpness.
He has a second chance though and Santos is a great club to kickstart his career.
Yes, they might not be the club the once were in terms of glory but they are still a household name for those that know their football.
Get fit, get in the team and score goals – sounds simple enough.
At his best, he can bully defences on his own and, after losing Leonardo, this is exactly the type of hero they need.
Morelos will need to work harder than he ever has before though because he should be approaching or in his peak, instead, you could argue that Rangers saw that three seasons ago now.
When Santos signed Alfredo Morelos, they took a punt because he was free, it wasn’t enough to save them from relegation but they might have to rely on him to get them back up.
In a story that still has a few chapters left to write, would anyone bet against him becoming the hero once again?
