When Steven Gerrard spoke about Alfredo Morelos back in the 2019/20 campaign, many Rangers fans probably nodded their heads in agreement.
As the Colombia international netted 29 goals in 47 appearances that season, nobody at Ibrox could fathom his departure, not least Gerrard.
“No” said the 42-year-old when asked if he would sell Morelos for £40m back in 2019.
“You can add another £10m on as well” quipped Gerrard, as quoted by the Daily Record.
Now – with the benefit of hindsight – it seems Rangers may have missed out on a huge opportunity to reinvest in their squad.
Rangers missed the best moment to sell Morelos
Well, Morelos has steadily declined since Gerrard made these comments.
The South American has only scored ten goals in 39 appearances this season, with Rangers now set to lose their No.20 for nothing when his contract expires in July.
Of course, at the time of Gerrard’s comments, nobody would have expected something like this to happen – it seemed far more likely that Morelos would go on to be worth more than £50m and take Europe by storm.
Nevertheless – with the benefit of hindsight, as aforesaid – it would seem Rangers may have been better off accepting a bid for the Colombian, and reinvesting that money into the squad as a whole.
Lille saw a £16.3m offer rejected in 2020 as Rangers fought to keep their man, although his eventual exit should have been foreseen as he switched agents in 2022.
Had Rangers cashed in on Morelos, there may have been uproar – however, those in the boardroom at Ibrox are paid to be decision makers, and money from his sale could have been used on a midfield revamp or to strengthen another area.
It feels as if Gerrard and those in the boardroom at the time got swept away by thinking about what Morelos could become, and didn’t stop to think about when the best time to cash in may have been.
Now, the Rangers No.20 – once one of the most valuable assets in Glasgow – is set to leave for nothing.
