Alfredo Morelos could prove to be an excellent acquisition for Rangers – and Jonatan Johansson deserves some credit.
Rangers manager Pedro Caixinha
It’s difficult to pass judgement yet on a number of the players brought to Ibrox by Pedro Caixinha this summer. After all, Eduardo Herrera, Dalcio and Fabio Cardoso are completely untested in the British game, plying their trade in Mexico and Portugal, it’s hardly as if they are household names.
And the exact same can be said about the latest player tipped to rock up at Rangers. According to the Scottish Sun, Caixinha has now turned his attention towards Colombian hitman Alfredo Morelos with the club agreeing a £1 million fee.
Alfredo Morelos
At 20 years of age, and currently plying his trade in Finland with HJK Helsinki, this is certainly another left-field transfer target identified by Rangers’ globe-trotting boss.
Yet, Morelos’ scoring record suggests that it won’t be too long before he gets supporters talking on British shores. In 62 games for Helsinki, the youngster has hit a remarkable 46 goals, unsurprisingly winning the Finnish league’s Striker of the Year award.
And that’s without mentioning his tally of three goals in six games in Europa League qualifiers – though he was unable to inspire his side into the competition’s group stages.
However, while it is impossible to tell whether Colombia Under-20 international will make the grade at Ibrox, this does bode well for a major change put in place by Caixinha since he arrived in Glasgow in March.
After plenty of speculation, Rangers appointed former winger Jonatan Johansson as a coach at Ibrox a month after Caixinha’s appointment, as reported by Sky Sports.
The manager wanted someone with a knowledge of the Scottish game and Johansson international, who recently worked as a pundit for the club’s television channel, fit the bill.
And, according to the Scottish Sun, Johansson also recommended Morelos to Caixinha. After all, the former Finland international stills keeps an eye on goings on in his home country.
Jonatan Johansson
And Johansson’s ability to spot this diamond in the rough bodes well for Rangers going forward. The Ibrox giants are hardly awash with funds, meaning they will have to scout intelligently and target young, affordable talents before their value sky-rockets.
With Caixinha at the helm, and Johansson advising him, Rangers may have the right men for the job.
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