Last summer, Rangers fans were all set to finally wave goodbye to Alfredo Morelos, a disappointing start to 2020 saw many questioning the logic of rejecting a £16million bid from Lille.
As it turns out, it was a masterstroke by the Gers hierarchy, not just in terms of the Colombian international’s contribution on the road to “55” but also because it set a benchmark in terms of how much the club valued key performers.
Throughout the speculation linking Morelos to Ligue 1, there was a regular name being suggested for a move in the opposite direction with Josh Maja of Bordeaux being seen as a natural replacement for El Bufalo, French sources describing Rangers interest as “very real“.
Surprisingly though, Morelos stayed and there was no need to splash out, but with Porto now said to be making a “serious bid” for Steven Gerrard’s talisman, a move for 22-year old Maja could be back on the cards, especially after his latest news.
The Nigerian international signed a short-term loan deal with Fulham in January with an option-to-buy clause of £9m inserted into the contract, however, after the London based club were relegated, it would appear that that transfer is now off the cards as revealed by the player himself on social media:
“I want to say a massive thank you to everyone involved at @FulhamFC for making my dream of playing in the Premier League come true. It’s unfortunate we couldn’t stay in the league but I have no doubt that this club will be back in the league it belongs.”
Maja scored three times in his 15 Premier League appearances in a team that consistently struggled to score goals, he did, however, play a small part in their late revival that gave them a glimmer of hope in the closing months.
Bordeaux are now in serious financial difficulties, which could play into Rangers favour, if we can sell Morelos for anywhere near his £20m valuation, getting Maja in for around £6m becomes a distinct possibility, meaning that we have made a profit of £14m without weakening the squad – the vey definition of the sort of transfer that would drive self sufficiency.
Not every signing can be a pre-contract agreement or bargain like Morelos when he first arrived, Maja has proven in Ligue 1 and the Premier League that he is a good player and is at a great age to still be able to develop further, if Porto are serious, he’s the name I’d like to see at the top of Ross Wilson’s list to replace a man who has gone from villain to hero in 12 eventful months.