Rangers FC: What should Gerrard do if Morelos stays at Ibrox?

Rangers star man Alfredo Morelos has attracted plenty of transfer interest, but what if he stays put?

Steven Gerrard has his hands full at Rangers Football Club as he must find a way to get the best out of his players after dropping two crucial points against Livingston.

The former Liverpool and England star knows that Rangers cannot afford to waste golden opportunities against weaker sides as they aim to win their first top flight title since the 2010-11 campaign.

In Gerrard’s book, turning things around with three points against Kilmarnock is a straightforward solution, but he has to face another dilemma, one which might be long-term.

Many pundits and fans, myself included, believe that Alfredo Morelos’ departure from Ibrox is inevitable, but what if he ends up staying?

The club were quick to roll up their sleeves and find not one, but two replacements for the Colombian international when they secured the services of Kemar Roofe and Cedric Itten. In total, Rangers spent close to £7.5m for the attacking duo.

That being said, Morelos has started every game since their arrival. Is Gerrard making the right decision in this situation?

For now, the answer is yes. It is a critical season for Rangers as they hope to prevent Celtic from setting a record in Scottish football, so he needs to play his most proven striker, at least until Roofe and Itten get up to speed.

In the long run, though, Gerrard will have some big decisions to make, specifically regarding his formations and who he will sacrifice in the starting lineup if Morelos stays until January or beyond.

One thing that benefits Gerrard and Rangers is the fact that Roofe can be played out wide as he is a versatile player capable of having a positive impact across the front-line.

This would allow Gerrard to play Morelos and Itten up top together, but if Roofe was to take a place out wide, who would make way?

Ryan Kent is currently untouchable and he is in line for a massive season. That leaves Joe Aribo and Ianis Hagi. At the moment, Aribo is enjoying a great run of form and he shares the same “untouchable” status as Kent.

Hagi, on the other hand, has plenty of hype surrounding his name and he can be a dynamic player on a good day, but his inconsistency in the final third could begin to place a ceiling on the Romanian’s potential success. That inconsistency was on full display against Livingston on Sunday.

It’s important not to forget about Jermain Defoe. The 37-year-old found the back of the net 13 times last season, and he can still be integral to the success of the club.

The competition of having four strikers benefits Rangers in terms of quality, but morale will eventually become a problem for some players if they stay at the bottom of the pecking order for too long.

For Roofe, Itten, and based on my argument, Hagi, the departure of Morelos would be a good thing, but Gerrard needs to be prepared for the possibility of Morelos staying in Glasgow.