Rangers chief Mark Allen admits it could be a matter of time before Alfredo Morelos leaves
Rangers director of football Mark Allen admits he is not sure how long the club can hold on to star striker Alfredo Morelos.
The Colombian forward has played a key role for Steven Gerrard's side in their race for the Scottish Premiership title, however reports continue to link him with a move away from Ibrox.
And while Allen insists the club have no plans to sell the forward, he concedes it could be a matter of time before he leaves.
“Ultimately Alfredo will want to play at a different level, our job is to hold onto him for as long as we can," the Gers chief told talkSPORT's Jim White.
“There’s no intention of letting him go right now and we’ll see where the future takes him.”
Morelos is a magnet for controversy, most recently escaping disciplinary action for three separate incidents during the 1-0 victory over Celtic.
The 22-year-old has picked up 13 yellow cards and three reds this season, albeit one against Aberdeen earlier in the season was rescinded.
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Nonetheless, Allen hailed the striker's attitude and admires his perseverance.
“Alfredo gets a lot of good and a lot of bad press," he added. "He’s a remarkable character because the stick he takes on the park – he just picks himself up and gets on with it."
Morelos will be joined at Ibrox by 36-year-old striker Jermain Defoe after the former England international completed an 18-month loan switch from Bournemouth.
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And while Allen hopes Defoe can help fire Rangers to the title, he is also keen for Morelos to feed off his new strike partner.
“He’s got a master there, a master craftsman in terms of goalscoring.
“His goalscoring record goes before him and I don’t think that’s anything that needs qualification.
“The statistics are there and it’s obviously a heavy factor in us wanting to pursue him. Long may that continue and hopefully he starts banging the goals in for Rangers.
“We’ll take one game at a time. We’re very excited and delighted to have got Jermain over the line. We know we’ve got a goalscorer, we hope he can continue with that and who knows where that takes you?”
Upon signing for the club, Defoe tweeted a picture of him and Gerrard with the caption: "Let's bring that trophy home, boss".
Gerrard is doing his best to halt Celtic's dominance, with Brendan Rodgers' side winning seven league titles in a row. Rangers are currently second in the Scottish Premiership, level on points with their rivals, who have a game in hand.