Alfredo Morelos and Rangers teammate could now U-turn on Ibrox exits after deal agreed – pundit
Noel Whelan has claimed the appointment of Ibrox favourite Michael Beale could persuade Rangers stars to pledge their futures to the club.
The former Leeds and Aberdeen striker, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, backed the 42-year-old to bring “happier times” back to the club after his previous stint in Glasgow.
Rangers confirmed the appointment of Beale on Monday (28 November) after his success as a coach at Ibrox in Steven Gerrard’s premiership.
Football Insider revealed earlier that day that the appointment will have no bearing on Ryan Kent’s decision to sign a new contract – with his deal up at the end of this season.
However, Morelos is also out of contract next summer and scored 83 goals in 158 games under Gerrard – leading the Gers to a historic Scottish Premiership title in the 2020-21 campaign.
Borna Barisic, Ianis Hagi, and John Lundstram are among the other Ibrox stars out of contract in June 2024.
When asked if Beale’s appointment could affect potential new deals for Morelos and teammates, Whelan told Football Insider’s Ewan Kingsbury: “Yeah, possibly.
“You’ve got to be in a happy place to sign a new contract, and Beale could bring those happier times back to Ibrox and back to these players.
“He could bring a little bit more consistency in terms of selection, in terms of how Rangers set up, and in terms of results.
“But there are big players in strong positions coming to the end of their contracts. A lot of them have been fancied by Premier League clubs, too.
“It’ll be interesting to see if Beale can persuade them to stay.”
In other news, Kieran Maguire issues Celtic claim as near-£10m Rangers legal action launched.