For many years, Rangers relied upon the firepower of Columbia’s Alfredo Morelos up top. The Glaswegian outfit might just have unearthed another gem from Morelos’ South American home. The club has agreed a loan move for Óscar Cortés from Lens, with an option to sign the forward permanently in the Summer.
Cortés is a dynamic right winger, who lit up last year’s u20 World Cup by scoring four goals in the tournament. Aside from his finishing acumen, Cortés has a welcome unpredictability as a wide player. He can either utilise his movement to drift into threatening positions with impeccable timing, and offer himself as the final, forward option. Alternatively, he can hold his position and use his afterburners to drive down the line, and release the ball to a teammate, who has instead offered themselves as the final, forward option.
You can just picture Todd Cantwell threading a through-the-needle pass to an on rushing Cortés, as the Columbian finds an acre of space to attack into. Equally, you can see a bustling run from Cortés, culminating in him picking out a pass and playing Cyriel Dessers in on goal.
And that’s where the comparisons with Morelos hold a bit of weight. He has that game-changing star quality. Naysayers may point to a disappointing spell at Lens, in an attempt to pour cold water on Cortés’ potential. The truth is he played (accumulatively) less than half a football match in his time at the French club, so simply wasn’t afforded the opportunities to make an impact.
He’ll get the chances to play at Rangers. If he can hit the ground running, the Ibrox faithful could take a shine to him. That’s crucial for Cortés. His potential is obvious. He just needs the platform to realise it, which comes in the form of regular game time. And also a healthy side order of self-belief, borne out of burnishing his emerging reputation amongst the ardent supporters of Rangers Football Club. If it all goes to plan, there may just be a fresh-faced Columbian talent to fill the mantle left by Morelos. Hopefully with a few less red cards along the way as well!
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