Glasgow Rangers waved goodbye to Alfredo Morelos at the end of the 2022/23 campaign, as he departed the club alongside Ryan Kent, Allan McGregor, Scott Arfield and Filip Helander following the expiration of their contracts.
It was the end of an era for the quintet, who all played an integral role in the Ibrox side claiming their 55th league title back in 2021, however, Michael Beale is keen to move away from sentiment and build a squad which fits with his ideologies.
Morelos’ goals will be sorely missed, with the Colombian hitman netting a total of 124 across 269 games during his six-year association with the Light Blues, and although his input dropped last term, scoring just 12 times, he emerged as something of a cult favourite along the way.
He will be hard to replace, and this is the challenge that Beale should embrace: aiming to find a forward who can offer as much as Morelos, without having to break the bank in the process.
The Gers have been linked with a move for striker Benie Traore, alongside Old Firm rivals Celtic, and he could cost the club around £4m, which seems reasonable given his age and vast potential.
Could Rangers sign Benie Traore this summer?
They may have to swat aside Celtic in the process, but there is certainly nothing stopping them from luring the youngster to Glasgow, and it could well be a repeat of the deal to sign Morelos back in 2017.
Traore currently plays for BK Hacken in Sweden, while Morelos was at Finnish side HJK Helsinki, having impressed after his arrival from Colombia – and exploring the Scandinavian market could pay dividends yet again for the club.
Since joining Hacken in 2021, Traore has established himself as a proper out-and-out scorer, netting 24 goals and grabbing nine assists in 56 games for the Swedish outfit. He is even able to operate on either wing if so required, which could be a bonus for Beale.
Adding more goals to the starting XI should be a key priority for the manager, as despite scoring 93 times across 38 Premiership games last term, the Ibrox side still fell way short of the 114 efforts that Celtic notched.
The 20-year-old has also gained international recognition, appearing once for the Ivory Coast U23 side, and in order for him to keep improving, a move to Rangers could be the spark which allows him to progress into a striker that can eventually replace the goals of Morelos.
