Why Alfredo Morelos would be a huge signing for Leicester City
Back in May, a report from the Leicestershire Live had mentioned Leicester City among the potential suitors for Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos. Aston Villa, West Ham and Crystal Palace were also understood to be chasing the free-scoring Colombian but he eventually ended up staying put at Ibrox before the summer deadline.
Profile
Alfredo Morelos started his professional career with Independiente Medellin in his native Colombia before moving to Europe with HJK Helsinki. He went on to establish himself as a prolific goalscorer in Finland, racking up an astonishing 46 goals in 62 games across all competitions.
Morelos won the domestic title and the Finnish Cup crown during his two seasons at the club, prompting Scottish giants Rangers to come calling for his services in 2017. The Colombian enjoyed an impressive debut season at Ibrox, plundering 18 goals in all competitions, and hasn’t looked back since.
The 24-year-old has evolved into an absolute goal-machine in Scottish football, gobbling up 84 goals and 33 assists in 155 appearances for the Gers so far. Morelos’ 18-goal haul in the 2018-19 season saw him finish as the top-scorer in the Scottish Premiership. While he missed out on that honour last term, the Colombian remains one of the most lethal strikers in the division.
Morelos would help ease the burden on Vardy
Leicester City roped in Cengiz Under on loan from AS Roma in the summer to bolster their attacking depth. The Turkish international has proved himself to be quite a game-changer for Brendan Rodgers. The 23-year-old is yet to start a league fixture for the Foxes but has already contributed with 3 assists in all competitions. He has showcased his worth as an impact player off the bench.
Under’s arrival, coupled with the impressive form of Harvey Barnes over the past 12 months, has somewhat reduced the goalscoring burden on the prolific Jamie Vardy. The former England international spearheaded the Foxes to an impressive 5th-place finish in the PL last term. He won the Golden Boot, courtesy of his 23-goal haul.
Vardy has continued to be the heartbeat of Leicester’s attack this season. He looks well on course for another prolific campaign, having already amassed 8 goals in 8 games so far. The Foxes, though, need to start lining up some younger alternatives in the market to take over the reins from their talismanic forward, who is set to turn 34 in January.
Leicester, of course, have some decent cover in that department, with Kelechi Iheanacho and Ayoze Perez both competing for places. However, considering that neither player has managed to fully convince that they are capable of eventually stepping into Vardy’s shoes, Leicester should start looking for new options up top.
Leicester City reigniting interest in Alfredo Morelos would definitely represent a step in the right direction. The Colombian international has been scoring goals for fun for Rangers over the past couple of years. He looks more than ready to embrace a bigger challenge.
Morelos has backed up his strong domestic record in Scotland with some impressive numbers in the Europa League. He has scored 10 goals in 17 appearances in the group stages of the competition. That clearly underlines his potential to deliver the goods against tougher opposition, making the 24-year-old a lucrative option for Leicester in the market.
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Verdict
Leicester City ideally need to bring in a promising young striker with a view to grooming him as their first-choice No.9 after Vardy eventually hangs up his boots. Given his excellent track record at Rangers, Alfredo Morelos certainly fits the bill at the King Power Stadium as a quality signing and one who has all the qualities to take the Foxes to greater heights in the future.
