Former Athetico Madrid midfielder Augusto Fernandez is the man that killed of the Alfredo Morelos moonbeam.
After two weeks of talks a deal was struck for the 31-year-old as Beijing Renhe completed their quota of foreign signings. There is no room at the inn for Sevco’s top scorer.
That small matter confirmed the original tweet of Kheredine Idessane who went against the frain at BBC Scotland by seeking a second source on the story that had occupied so much air time with the state broadcaster.
The word from China: source close to Beijing Renhe denies that the club made a multi-million pound bid for @RangersFC Alfredo Morelos. Says their foreign player quota is full, and that there’s a levy on foreign signings over $7 million.
— BBCKheredine (@BBCKheredine) February 1, 2018
With an alternative line out there panic ensued. Rather than go for a cheap headline Idessane went in to detail with a number of facts to confirm the non-story.
Those facts can’t be disputed. That is the thing with facts they are sort of factual.
Sadly for Idessane and further destroying the lingering credibility and impartiality of the BBC, their tennis man somehow performed a u-turn- but not on the FACTS.
Beijing Renhe still have their quota of foreign players and the levy on signings over $7m remains in place.
An apology to @RangersFC : despite what I was told from China, there was indeed a multi-million euro bid, indeed bids, from Beijing Renhe for striker Alfredo Morelos, with varying options for how it would have been structured. This retracts, and corrects my previous tweet.
— BBCKheredine (@BBCKheredine) February 1, 2018
The man from the state broadcaster may have been shown details of the bids in euros. Sevco may have a friendly agent punting for business in the Chinese market.
After the embarrassment to the club, player and manager, the BBC are now dragged in. Their credibility was already low, after the Morelos tale their standing is off the radar but not in a good way.
Following their two and a half year stand off it’s believed that BBC Scotland have almost earned a return to media access to Ibrox.
