View: Aston Villa links to Alfredo Morelos not surprising, but he is not the man they need
Aston Villa are reportedly tracking Alfredo Morelos, who worked with Steven Gerrard at Rangers, according to reports.
The Colombian star excelled under Gerrard’s leadership at Ibrox, bagging 83 goals and 37 assists in just 158 appearances.
Morelos has long been linked with a move away from the club, and Football Scotland reported on Friday night that Gerrard was keen on a reunion.
The report states that Rangers want at least £10million for the striker, but they may have to settle for less if he does not sign a new contract.
It is no surprise that Villa have been linked with Morelos due to Gerrard’s relationship with the player and his preference to sign players he knows.
During his time at Villa, Gerrard has signed Philippe Coutinho and considered Luis Suarez earlier in the window, though this move has been shut down by Phil McNulty.
Morelos is not the profile that Villa need
While he is a good player and Villa want an affordable striker, Morelos is not that man.
His record in the Scottish Premiership is exemplary, going toe-to-toe with Odsonne Edouard for the best striker in the league until the Frenchman joined Crystal Palace.
His record in Europe is just as good, bagging 29 goals in European competitions for Rangers when including qualifiers.
Judging by Edouard’s record since joining Crystal Palace, who racked up nine goal contributions in 18 Premier League starts, he could take to the league well.
However, there is one major issue with signing Morelos, that being his age.
Morelos is 26 years old, which may seem like an odd age to consider an issue, but this means he can be around long enough to block the development of other players.
Cameron Archer has skyrocketed in the last year and his form merits a chance in the Villa squad, but Morelos being there would limit his chances.
Villa have made great strides with improving the pathway from the academy to the first team over the last three years, so blocking Archer’s path would be a confusing move.
In other Aston Villa news, prospect Carney Chukwuemeka could be prepared to leave for regular first team football.