Alfredo Morelos is old enough to know where he needs to improve but the latest news coming out of Santos suggests that he, for once, is focussing purely on the football.
There is a convenient synergy between the Brazilian giant’s predicament and the current position that El Bufalo finds himself in that neither are, clearly, where they really want to be.
What Alfredo Morelos is doing though, is showing that he appreciates the opportunity that he has at Santos after moving on from Rangers with both looking to reset and come back stronger.
Alfredo Santos makes Santos pay-cut decision
A post on the Serie B outfit’s social media channels has revealed that the 27-year old striker has joined several other key players in taking a pay-cut rather than looking for a new club.
There had been talk of a contract clause allowing him to walk away if Santos were relegated and it was strange when his name was missed off previous announcements.
This time, Alfredo Morelos, who was linked with an Ibrox return, looks to have made the right decision and could be at the perfect club to rediscover the form that could see him become every bit as much a hero at Santos as he was at Rangers:
“Following the example of Tomás Rincón, João Paulo, and Julio Furch, striker Alfredo Morelos also adapted to the salary policy that has been implemented by the new management and will remain at Santos Futebol Clube in 2024.
“An idol at Rangers, in Scotland, Morelos scored 125 goals and distributed 32 assists in 269 games played, becoming Scottish and national cup champion.
“Furthermore, the athlete is the third highest scorer in the history of the Europa League, with 32 goals.”
Manager Fabio Carille will be looking forward to being able to select the enigmatic Colombian with a paltry 75 minutes so far hardly justification for the reported salary that he has been on since moving to Brazil.
Speaking early in the week, Carille explained why Morelos has been missing in the early pre-season fixtures.
“I think it may take a while for Alfredo to become fully fit because he is still recovering from the impact of a calf injury he suffered last year.
“Morelos has all the tools needed to do what he does best, which is score goals. He will be a very important player for us this season.”
Whether he likes it or not, Morelos has to get fit.
Not just injury free, but into the sort of physical condition where he can play 90 minutes three times a week.
It’s no coincident that his best form has always coincided with his best physical conditioning and appearance.
Hopefully, the last 12-months has been a wake-up call and, if he wants to earn the dream European return, it won’t just have to be some of his money that he needs to lose.
