Alfredo Morelos’ move to Rangers looked a gamble at the time, but there was one key thing that helped sway him to Glasgow.
Whilst many players come to Rangers due to the history and tradition of success, it took a little more for Morelos. After HJK Helsinki accepted an undisclosed fee for the striker, Morelos had a decision to make.
He had an offer on the table from Glasgow, but also another offer from an unnamed Spanish side. Considering Spanish is his native tongue, it must’ve been tempting for him to make the switch to Spain from Finland.
Fortunately, however, Rangers had a bit of Spanish fluency of their own at the time. According to former assistant manager Jonatan Johansson, that’s exactly what swayed the Colombian over to Ibrox.
“At the time Alfredo signed for Rangers there was an offer from Spain, but we felt Rangers was a much better option for the player. We felt that the style of football in Scotland would suit him really well. He’s a physical player, he works hard and obviously Rangers are a massive, massive club.
“That was one of the main factors. It wasn’t like Rangers offered more money or anything like that. We felt from a footballing point of view that was the best option for him.
“He had a chat with the coaching staff, who obviously spoke some Spanish. He had a chat with them and was impressed with what they said. It definitely helped that there were Spanish speakers at the club.”
Pedro’s big success
There were many aspects to Pedro Caixinha’s Rangers that were disastrous. What he can be thanked for, however, was his influence in signing Morelos.
The Portuguese manager, now with Cruz Azul, never got the fans on-side after some woeful results to start his tenure. Yet, the signing of Morelos looks like being a deal that could earn the club millions.
Johansson played a key influence in swaying the Colombian over to Glasgow also. It was the current Morton manager that scouted him and brought him to Caixinha’s attention. Both men should be thanked for their part in this deal, despite the sour end to their management.
If Caixinha wasn’t the manager at the time with his fleunt Spanish, it could’ve been difficult to persuade Morelos. Spain must’ve tickled his fancy during negotiations, and no doubt having others speaking the language helped him feel more at home at Ibrox.
Of course, outside of Daniel Candeias, there aren’t any Spanish stars now at the club. Morelos, however, has fully adapted to his new home in Scotland, and is learning English to help him with what will hopefully be a long-term career in Britain.
