Alfredo Morelos Rangers return would be wrong move and I saw 2 better striking options at Tynecastle - Barry Ferguson

Alfredo Morelos was one of my favourites. And anyone who has read this column over the years can vouch for that.

When the knives were coming out for the Colombian during his time at Ibrox, I was always first in the queue to defend him. Even at times when he was testing my patience, never mind everyone else’s. So it’s no surprise to me that some Rangers fans are now calling for Morelos to be brought back to the club in January now that his big move to Brazil has ended up in disaster after just six months. The suggestion is that Santos - having been relegated for the first time in their history - would be willing to let Morelos leave as a free agent next month and it’s easy to see why people will look at this and put two and two together.

Especially if he’s available for no fee and willing to take a knocked down wage. But, as much as I might naturally like the idea, I also believe it would be the wrong move for my old club and new boss Philippe Clement who is trying to drive Rangers forward in a different direction. Clement is already having to work with players he inherited from previous managers. The last thing he needs right now is to bring even more of them back, even if the likes of Morelos and Ryan Kent were huge contributors during their time in Glasgow.

The truth is, I watched the performance at Tynecastle on Wednesday night and I saw two players on that pitch who might be better options when it comes to filling the main striker’s role in Clement’s team. And only one of them was wearing a blue shirt. Let’s start with Lawrence Shankland who catches my eye every time I see him play for Hearts. This guy has improved his game to such an extent over the last couple of years that I’m surprised he’s not been snapped up