RANGERS can launch an even stronger Premiership challenge this season if they spend the money they bank from the sale of Alfredo Morelos wisely and become less “one dimensional” in attack it was last night claimed.
Colombian striker Morelos, who has finished leading scorer at Ibrox in the last three seasons, is a target for Lille and looks set to depart if the French club increase their initial €15m offer in the coming days.
The situation is concerning for fans of the Glasgow club as Morelos is, with Jermain Defoe currently sidelined, their only fit front man and their league campaign gets underway on Saturday against Aberdeen at Pittodrie.
Former Rangers and Kilmarnock centre forward Kris Boyd, the all-time top scorer in the Premiership, is a huge admirer of the mercurial South American and admitted he will be sad to see him depart Scotland.
However, he predicted that Morelos’s departure will allow Steven Gerrard to bring in different types of forwards who enable Rangers to alter their formation and tactics and increase their chances of stopping Celtic completing 10-In-A-Row in the 2020/21 campaign.
“You don’t want to lose your best players, but it would give Rangers a significant fee,” he said as Sky Sports launched their Scottish football coverage for the new season. “That would give them finances to go and reinvest in the squad. If they do that, then they can get in three or four quality players to challenge Celtic.
“There have been links with foreign players and I think that will be the market that Steven Gerrard will shop in and try and get players in because I don’t think there’s anyone in the Scottish league who is going to come in and make Rangers a better team. Steven Gerrard and his staff need to go abroad and find one or two gems.
“But it’s about Rangers spending the money wisely, by signing two strikers and a creative one. Last season Rangers struggled to break teams down. And you can include Morelos in that. So if they can get two or three players then the team might actually function better.”
Boyd added: “For Rangers, the big problem for me personally was that they struggled to break teams down. They need to find, if Morelos goes, a couple of strikers.
“Ianis Hagi has come in, but I still think there is a player needed to unlock defences. That’s where Rangers Achilles’ heel has been, especially in the second part of last season. They need something different. If they are struggling in games maybe launch it into the box, a different dynamic.
“They could get players in who are better at linking up with runners getting in behind. Morelos is suited to being the one up front. But when teams sit in it can be difficult with one striker.
“In years gone by - with Kenny (Miller) and myself and (Ally) McCoist and (Mark) Hateley before that - Rangers had two up front. You could launch a ball into the box and the bigger one would go and challenge for it. To break teams down you have to be able to mix it up.
"I don't think Rangers have that right now where they can throw it into the box for something to happen. It's the one way, it's one dimensional.
“So if Rangers get good money for Alfredo Morelos and they can go and get a couple of strikers who are different, then there is no doubt Rangers could potentially be more of a threat in the league.”
Sky Sports is the home of the Scottish Premiership. Watch up to 48 games exclusively live on Sky Sports Football and NOW TV.
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