Jonatan Johansson On Morelos Signing

[ian1964 10,409]

It had become a routine trip for Jonatan Johansson.

As Finland's assistant manager, surveying the nation's top sides was simply part of the day job.

His remit was to keep tabs on homegrown talent but it was as 2016 drew to a close he first became aware of a young Colombian U-20 striker by the name Alfredo Morelos.

Plucked from obscurity in Medellin, his goals had fuelled HJK Helsinki's tilt at the Finnish title.

And although they eventually came up three points short, Johansson struggled to recall a player of this ilk in the Veikkausliiga.

After all, 30 goals in 43 appearances does tend to demand that kind of attention.

"I thought he was different from anything the Finnish league had before - strong, a good target man," Johansson said. "He was very - maybe arrogance is the wrong word - but he had that confidence where he just wanted to score goals."

Single-minded, bullish, maybe even a bit unorthodox at times - all traits now synonymous with the man known as "El Bufalo".

Johannson's association with the Finnish national team was short-lived but his scouting missions to the Telia 5G -areena were to prove hugely valuable - just not in the way he'd first imagined.

Over in Scotland, Rangers were on a quest of their own.

Mark Warburton's Ibrox reign had just ended and the club were set to complete the ill-fated appointment of Pedro Caixinha.

The Portuguese coach was a Scottish football novice and the addition of Johansson, a former Rangers striker, as assistant coach was seen as a shrewd move.

Johansson, with an extensive knowledge of Scottish football, was handed a lengthy list of players to watch but there was someone else, someone off the grid that stuck in his mind.

By this point, that all-action Colombian kid who'd caught his eye had picked up where he left off the previous season.

Admiring glances from around Europe were turning into firm offers and it was clear Morelos' time in Finland would soon be over.

Whoever was to convince HJK to part with their prized asset would have to move quickly, but in Johansson Rangers had a way in.

"Pedro was trying to reshape the squad and he gave me a lot of players to watch - different leagues, different types", he said.

"I felt that Alfredo fitted the profile perfectly. I had very good contacts with HJK, I knew the manager, players and the chief-executive.

"I think with every player there are risks and it's about minimising those risks.

"It's about doing as much research as possible, to see how he is as a player and speak to coaches and team-mates to get as many opinions on him as possible, find out what he's like as a person and everything else."

Johansson set about studying Morelos and became increasingly confident he'd be a star at Ibrox.

Martyn Waghorn had bagged 16 goals across all competitions in 2016/17 but Caixinha was never a fan, while Joe Garner's £1.2million move from Preston hadn't worked out.

Both men were out the door before long and reliable marksman was required.

Johansson said: "It's a profile you're looking for - everything comes into it, wage-wise, do you want to sell him on? Do you want to play him in different positions? Do you want to play him first striker or third striker?

"All of that comes into it but I felt the price was right and I knew he had a get-out clause.

"That's why I felt he was very good value for money.

"I found out what he was like and brought it to Pedro.

"I said, 'I think this player would be good, he fits all the boxes'. I told him of the other things we'd need to be wary of, the risks.

"Pedro liked him and took it from there."

The top table at Rangers were now aware of this South American livewire making waves in Northern Europe, but HJK's season was in to full swing and so was Morelos.

Another 17 goals in 19 games had convinced clubs to start putting money on the table.

An offer arrived from Spain that would likely have ticked several boxes for the frontman - there would be no language barrier and he'd be moving to a climate much more akin to his native Colombia.

But, in footballing terms at least, the player's camp felt Rangers was a better fit and and the man himself was impressed in conversations with the club.

The growing Spanish-speaking contingent at Ibrox certainly did no harm, either.

A source close to the player said: "At the time Alfredo signed for Rangers there was an offer from Spain, but we felt Rangers was a much better option for the player.

"We felt that the style of football in Scotland would suit him really well. He's a physical player, he works hard and obviously Rangers are a massive, massive club.

"That was one of the main factors. It wasn't like Rangers offered more money or anything like that. We felt from a footballing point of view that was the best option for him.

"He had a chat with the coaching staff, who obviously spoke some Spanish. He had a chat with them and was impressed with what they said.

"It definitely helped that there were Spanish speakers at the club."

Johansson, meanwhile, felt a move to Rangers was the right choice for a player who was outgrowing his current surroundings.

Morelos was still a gamble, it was acknowledged, but the coach had the backing of his superiors.

"I felt that he needed to get a new challenge from Finland because he was dominating that league," Johansson explained.

"It's the same with any young player, if they become too comfortable that's a risk - you have to challenge them.

"I felt the Scottish league was the next step, it would be perfect for him in a team that dominates possession in most games, like Rangers.

"Player profiling and player recruitment is a big, big area. There's a lot of money in transfers and you have to be careful to get the best out of everything.

"So much comes into it and at the end of the day there's still a risk, especially with young players.

"But I felt confident and obviously Pedro and Stewart Robertson felt the same."

Managing director Robertson hammered out an agreement with HJK and Johansson helped Morelos acquire a work permit.

The deal took little over a week to complete and on June 19, 2017, he became a Rangers player for the bargain price of just £1m.

Morelos finished his first season in Scotland as the club's joint top scorer alongside Josh Windass, helping himself to 18 goals.

But it's under Steven Gerrard, who will be thankful the club fended off interest from China, France and Turkey before his arrival, that Morelos has flourished.

He's already just three strikes shy of last season's tally and a first senior cap for Colombia has been just reward for his efforts.

A humble Johansson, now manager at Greenock Morton, is happy to have his name associated with one of the club's most astute signings in recent times, but he'd rather the credit went elsewhere.

He added: "I'm delighted for Alfredo and Rangers. He's a good lad and I have to give big credit to the current management team for really getting the best out of him.

"He's looking really sharp, fit, confident and hungry and that's down to the manager and his team.

"At the end of the day, recruitment is one part but you need to do a lot of work on the training pitch. I just want to say that's the most important thing at the end of the day.

"Obviously when you put your name to a player that's great so I'm very happy for everybody and I hope when he moves on it will be a good deal player and club."

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/inside-story-how-rangers-brought-13613607

[JFK-1 1,669]

I didn't realise he was already just 3 goals short of his total last season. Obvious improvement and we can hold on to him for another season or two given he's contracted till 2022. In the meantime the search should be on for another like him.