Celtic have accepted that their best players will be lured over to England – and Rangers should do the same with Aston Villa tracking Alfredo Morelos.
Since Rangers were forced to start again in the fourth tier back in 2012, a lot has changed in Scottish football. The financial gulf between England and their northern neighbours has grown, meaning even annual champions Celtic have been forced to accept that their key players will leave the club on a yearly basis.
And not even for the most illustrious destinations, either. The likes of Gary Hooper left for Norwich City, Ki-Sung Yeung for Swansea and Joe Ledley for Crystal Palace.
It seems as if Rangers will have to get used to his ongoing trend themselves with Pedro Caixinha’s side coming across one player in particular who looks destined to play at a higher level.
Harsh reality
And the Birmingham Mail reported that Villa watched the Colombian in action again as Rangers put three past St Johnstone on Friday night. Morelos did not get his name on the scoresheet, meaning it’s now four games since he hit the back of the net, but his electric start to life at Ibrox means the 21-year-old is likely to be a man in demand in January.
Overall, Morelos has scored eight goals in 13 games – not bad for a player who cost just £1 million from HJK Helsinki in the summer, per the Daily Record.
And although Villa is no longer the illustrious Premier League giant it once was, finishing in the second half of the Championship in 2016/17, Rangers should perhaps take a leaf out of Celtic’s book and plan for life after their prized asset.
Bhoys boss Brendan Rodgers accepted that Celtic are powerless to prevent their players from being lured by the money and the exposure on offer south of the border (Daily Record). Celtic, however, have made a habit of identifying and signing talented, under-the-radar players to act as ready-made replacements. Rangers should do the same.
The better Morelos performs, the harder it will be to keep hold of him.
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