Rangers' reported pursuit of Kevin Kelsy has inevitably invited comparisons with former Ibrox striker Alfredo Morelos, with the Venezuelan offering some of the physical and stylistic characteristics that made the Colombian such a success in Glasgow.
Rangers are understood to have made a bid of around $10 million (£7.4m) for Kelsy, although Portland Timbers are reluctant to sell the 22-year-old. Kelsy has been in excellent form in MLS this season, with nine goals already to his name.
There are obvious differences between the two players, but the comparison is worth exploring.
Both offer physical presence
The first similarity is immediately obvious. Kelsy stands around 6ft 4in and possesses the athleticism to cause defenders problems physically. His former Portland manager Phil Neville has described him as: “Young, plus-6-foot, athletically like a machine. But he's still developing.”
Morelos was considerably shorter, but his strength was one of the defining features of his Rangers game.
Analysis of Morelos' time at Ibrox found that he was particularly effective when receiving the ball with his back to goal, using his upper-body strength, backside, and powerful frame to protect possession and battle defenders.
That is where the comparison becomes interesting. Kelsy would give Rangers a physically imposing focal point, while Morelos demonstrated that physicality does not necessarily require a striker to be especially tall.
Morelos was more than a goalscorer
Morelos' value to Rangers went well beyond his finishing.
He could lead the line, link play and occupy defenders, while his willingness to compete made him particularly suited to the intensity of Scottish football, but also could be his undoing at times, needlessly getting involved in scuffles.
His Rangers career ultimately produced 124 goals, including 29 in European competition, and he became the club's record European goalscorer.
Kelsy is not at that level yet, and it would be unfair to expect a 22-year-old arriving from MLS to immediately replicate what Morelos achieved over six seasons.
But there are some encouraging signs. Neville has repeatedly spoken highly of Kelsy's mentality and development, while his current form suggests he has developed into a much more consistent attacking threat.
Kelsy brings something Morelos didn't
If Rangers were to sign Kelsy, however, they would not simply be buying a younger version of Morelos, the Venezuelan's height and aerial presence would give Derek McInnes another dimension.
Morelos could compete physically despite being shorter, whereas Kelsy has the natural physical profile to challenge centre-backs in the air as well as on the ground, something that could be particularly useful in a Rangers side expected to dominate possession domestically.
Kelsy's athleticism could also allow him to attack space behind defensive lines, rather than functioning exclusively as a traditional target man.
The mentality comparison
Perhaps the most encouraging comparison concerns Kelsy's attitude. Neville previously revealed that when he told Kelsy he would not start a game, the striker responded: “The team is more important than me for this game tomorrow.”
That is the sort of mentality Rangers would need from any forward arriving under the pressure of playing at Ibrox.
Morelos was a very different personality, but his aggression and competitive edge were also central to his success. His fiery nature occasionally worked against him, but it was inseparable from the intensity with which he played.
Kelsy appears to offer a potentially calmer version of that physical competitiveness.
Rangers shouldn't expect another Morelos
The comparison should ultimately be treated as a style comparison rather than a prediction.
Morelos arrived at Rangers in 2017 for a relatively modest fee from Helsinki and went on to become one of the most productive strikers in the club's modern history.
Kelsy is arriving, if Rangers can persuade Portland to sell, with considerably greater physical stature and a different career path.
What they potentially share is the ability to combine physicality, athleticism and aggression with a genuine goalscoring threat.
Those traits are particularly relevant and needed following Youssef Chermiti's serious ACL injury and the need to add another attacking option. Kelsy's nine goals in 17 MLS appearances this season have put him firmly on the radar.
The question is whether he can translate that production to Scottish football.
If he can, Rangers may not be getting the next Alfredo Morelos, but they could be getting a striker capable of providing some of the same qualities that made Morelos such a formidable presence at Ibrox, while adding a different physical dimension of his own.
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