Glasgow Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos has signed a new contract at Ibrox.
Andy Halliday has insisted that Alfredo Morelos would not have signed a new contract at Rangers if he expected to be on the move in the summer, in comments reported by the Daily Record.
Morelos may have surprised plenty earlier this week when it was announced on the club’s official website that he had penned a new deal that is set to keep him at Ibrox until 2023.
The Daily Record reports that a number of clubs are tracking the Colombian ahead of the summer, so some may have assumed that the new contract was Rangers’s way of ensuring that they secure a marquee fee for the youngster. But Halliday has suggested that the Scottish Premiership’s top goalscorer is going nowhere during the upcoming window.
“Alfredo has been the outstanding player in Scotland this season,” he said, as reported by the Daily Record. “He’s got 28 goals which is remarkable considering we’re still in March.
“I think he realises that the players and staff at Rangers have helped him improve. And if keeps improving his career will take care of itself. If Alfredo had intention of leaving next season, he wouldn’t have signed this new deal.
“To sign that was a statement from him.”
It would be huge for Rangers if they managed to keep Morelos beyond this season. With an interim manager in place and several players only on loan, Celtic are facing a critical summer that could leave the door wide open for Steven Gerrard’s side if they get some of the key decisions wrong.
If they do present the Gers with an opportunity to turn the title race around, then having players such as Morelos in the ranks will be key. And while some may have their doubts regarding what a new contract will mean, it surely puts Rangers in a strong position to resist any summer offers for their talisman.
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