Ex-Rangers striker signs new Santos deal under club’s ‘adapted salary policy’ after relegation.
Alfredo Morelos, the former Rangers star, has decided to stay at Santos FC after agreeing to a new contract under the team’s “adapted salary policy”—despite having played just 76 minutes of football since the summer.
Since joining the Brazilian team in September of last year, the 27-year-old striker has only made three appearances owing to a combination of fitness and injury-related problems. He has yet to score for the team. A contract break clause allowed Morelos to leave Pele’s previous team after they experienced their first-ever top-flight relegation last season.
However, the Colombian has opted to stay with the team as they prepare to start their second tier campaign for the first time in their history. He has been given no assurances of regular game time by new manager Fabio Carille, who has informed the frontman that he won’t play under him until he regains full fitness.
The ex Ibrox star battled a number of fitness problems throughout his time in Glasgow but he has joined fellow players Tomas Rincon, Joao Paulo and Julio Furch in putting pen to paper on a new deal for the 2024 season under Santos’ new salary policy. It means Morelos has accepted a huge reduction in his wages compared to his previous deal – worth a reported £40,000 per week.
He will attempt to fire the club to promotion at the first time of asking but will need to impress former Corinthians boss Carille, who is convinced he can get the best out of the frontman. Morelos won’t be available for the next couple of matches as he recovers from a calf injury sustained at the end of last season.
“Following the example of Tomás Rincón, João Paulo, and Julio Furch, striker Alfredo Morelos also adapted to the salary policy that has been implemented by the new management and will remain at Santos Futebol Clube in 2024.
“A Scottish national cup champion, Morelos amassed 125 goals and sent out 32 assists in 269 games while playing for Rangers, an idol in Scotland. With 32 goals, the player also has the third-highest scoring record in Europa League history.”
“I think it may take a while for Alfredo to become fully fit because he is still recovering from the impact of a calf injury he suffered last year,” stated Carille, the new first-team boss. We can be certain he won’t play in our next two games. As you can see, he performed for seven years in Scotland, where playing is challenging. You must have toughness.
“When I was manager of Corinthians and he was playing for Rangers, I really faced him once in a tournament in Florida. He is a very quick player who can get in between defenders and receive the ball in space with intelligence. With all the equipment he needs, Morelos can focus on his strongest skill, which is scoring goals. He’s going to be a key member of our team this season.”
Leave a Reply