SPORT Gerrard to Morelos: Forget Lille for now
Manager demands full focus as he lines up new forwards Lennon won’t rule out move for Fletcher
STEVEN GERRARD has told Alfredo Morelos he must blank out all thoughts of his potential move to Lille and concentrate fully on Rangers’ opening Premiership fixture against Aberdeen today.
Gerrard emphasised that no bid which matches the Ibrox club’s valuation of the Colombian striker has been received yesterday morning as he looked ahead to the Pittodrie match.
But a report in France at the weekend claimed Morelos had agreed personal terms with the Ligue 1 outfit and the player has publicly since admitted he would be open to moving on to a better league.
The 24-year-old is currently the only fit forward that Rangers have – Jermain Defoe is sidelined with a hamstring injury – and Gerrard needs him to be at his very best for his team to triumph this afternoon.
The manager, who revealed he is “close” to strengthening his squad with new signings, admitted he will drop anyone who fails to perform to the required level.
Asked if Morelos’s full focus had to be on Rangers, he said: “It has to be. Because if I see any player not focused on the challenges coming up, unfortunately they won’t be able to be part of it.
“He is training well, seems focused and will be in the squad tomorrow. It’s important that he stays focused, focuses on the team and contributing. “There has been noise around Alfredo since the first day I walked in the door. I must have read about 20 or 30 teams being linked with Alfredo in the media. “In terms of the noise, I’m sure he’s used to it from an individual point of view. I’m certainly used to it. But my focus and his focus has to be Aberdeen. “Alfredo will be in the squad. I’ll pick a team I feel is capable of getting the result we need. I’ve watched Alfredo very closely. He is training well and pushing to start the game but we will make that decision when we need to.” Gerrard has been linked with Young Boys and Cameroon striker Jean-Pierre Nsame. The 27-yearold scored 36 goals in 41 games last season and faced Rangers in the Europa League group stage.
NEIL LENNON has refused to rule out the signing of former Hibernian striker Steven Fletcher as he looks to bolster his attacking options for the coming season.
The Celtic manager admitted he was an admirer of the 33-year-old ex-Scotland forward when asked if he would be looking to add him to his squad, and said that he is still looking to bring in striking options.
But he wouldn’t be drawn definitively on whether or not Fletcher is a contender to join Celtic this summer.
“He is a good player,” Lennon said. “I am not going to confirm or deny that, I don’t want to talk about individuals.
“We have been linked with a lot of strikers, midfield players, centre-halves. There are one or two areas we want to add to because we have let a few players go. We let seven or eight go and we have only added [Vasilis] Barkas to the squad so I think it’s important we bring some quality in, in the areas we are looking for.
“I think it’s the most important position on the pitch. We have had a few injuries and a few absentees in that department so if there is a quality one available and we think it’s the right thing to do, we will pursue it.
“We will take a view on the squad later on down the line.”
Lennon added that the likes of Vakoun Issouf Bayo may still have a future at the club too.
“He pulled his hamstring in
Loughborough,” he said. “He has been out for the last few weeks, he is just back out on the pitches doing some rehab and physical work. We are hopeful he might start training again next week.”
The Celtic manager also hopes that offers don’t arrive for his top talent before the closure of the transfer window in October.
“In the last couple of years we have sold players for a lot of money, Moussa Dembele and Kieran Tierney,” he said.
“We have adjusted accordingly to that.
“There may be interest in one or two of our players, but we haven’t had any phonecalls about any of them, which has been a pleasing aspect of pre-season so far.”