Chief Ibrox cheerleader softens bears up for Morelos finally leaving as he reveals wage demands

Ibrox fans are being softened up for the departure of Alfredo Morelos.

The chunky striker is out of contract in the summer with no sign of the club being prepared to offer a deal putting him in line with the wages being paid to John Lundstram and Kemar Roofe.

Once again Ross Wilson failed to find a buyer during the January transfer window with a last gasp moonbeam from Turkish no-marks Konyaspor going the same way as the mystery bid from China in January 2018.

Rangers Review is a favoured website for the current Ibrox regime, being invited to all media conferences and getting exclusive interviews with Stewart Robertson, Ross Wilson and James Bisgrove.

Jonny McFarlane is the leading cheerleader, warning bears of what lies ahead he explains why Morelos is likely to say Adios in the summer.

It’s always hard to say goodbye to the good ones, no matter what the head says. For football fans, it’s a matter of the heart wanting what it wants. 

As Alfredo Morelos’ contract ebbs away, there will be some Rangers fans out there, perhaps many, who will wish he’d hang around Govan a few more years yet.

Fuelled by memories of what was, they will look at a 26-year-old striker and think there should be plenty of scope to keep the Colombian in the building.

I understand and accept this point of view. It may even be right. If Morelos was to return to the form that made Lille bid £16.5m to entice the striker to Ligue 1, his retention would be a no-brainer.

But what rational, tangible evidence are we using to measure that as a likely outcome?

Morelos blows perennially hot and cold,  going through prolific patches where his form is blistering before tailing off. And yet, his naturally mercurial nature has seemed somehow magnified in recent years.

Later McFarlane adds:

Morelos’ stats read nine goals and five assists in 31 appearances, that’s 171 minutes per goal in all competitions. By comparison, Kyogo of Celtic has played a game more and scored 22 goals with four assists, a goal in every 97 minutes of football. Some will say that’s not a fair comparison but Glasgow is not a fair city.

Morelos is understood to be one of the highest earners at the club. His current deal was handed out in an effort to secure his signature over the long term in lieu of a huge transfer bonanza that was never to materialise.

A wage of over £40k per week would be needed to strike a new deal, with bonuses and add-ons sure to make that weekly salary even more lucrative for the player.

The Lille bid is one of the great myths with nothing other than an interview with Jim White feeding Lille chairman Gerard Lopez during an interview with TalkSPORT.

At the same time Lille signed Jonathan David from Gent with no follow up negotiations for Morelos.

A return to Colombia or a move to Mexico seems likely in the summer for the former HJK Helsinki starlet.