With news that Rangers are being linked with other potential striker options – despite it going quiet recently – it may be that Alfredo Morelos really has kicked his last ball for Rangers.
At the moment it is purely speculation of course and I’d still be surprised if he moves on before the Champions League qualifiers have been played, if he does in fact move.
Liverpool forward Divock Origi is the latest to be mentioned but I’d still prefer Josh Maja of Bordeaux if the worst comes to the worst and, apparently, the Nigerian International has already been offered to English sides, according to the Northern Echo who have reported on Middlesbrough’s chances of signing the 22-year old:
“Fulham agreed a clause that would have enabled them to sign Maja on a permanent basis for £9m this summer, but following their relegation, they have opted not to take up the deal.
“As things stand, Maja will return to Bordeaux for pre-season training, but his French employers are keen to move him on this summer and are understood to have flagged up his availability to a number of English clubs.
“Boro are willing to discuss a cut-price deal with Bordeaux, although at this stage, a loan deal is regarded as a more realistic scenario. That could be an option later in the summer, but for now, the Bordeaux hierarchy are expected to hold out for a permanent transfer.”
The whole thing reeks of a Ross Wilson loan-to-buy deal similar to the ones we saw for Ianis Hagi and Bongani Zungu, with two years left on his current contract Bordeaux will obviously be looking to get as much as possible for him but now that he has a year less than he had when the Fulham transfer was agreed, we could be in luck.
Like Veerman, if you are going to spend money, you have to be sure what you are spending it on and Maja ticks an awful lot of boxes, a player that is only going to get better with the right coaching team and who better to learn from thanour newest coach, Jermain Defoe?