In the midst of Steven Gerrard’s first two seasons, inconsistency riddled the performances and held the team back from pushing on for silverware.

Two of the elements that kept the fans onside were the refreshing honesty of Gerrard and the performances of Alfredo Morelos.

Those two things have been peppered throughout the manager's reign and have often intertwined.

That was no different on Friday during Gerrard’s interview with Sky Sports when the inevitable question about Morelos’ transfer arose. There was almost a deja vu about the answer as he offered no false assurances about Alfredo’s future in Glasgow. The frustration was palpable as Gerrard fielded the question as he has on countless occasions since taking the job.

Since the summer of 2018, almost every transfer window has felt like Alfredo Morelos’ last at Rangers. He has been linked to a club during every summer and winter and as Gerrard alluded to, none of this is by accident.

The work of agents is inevitable in the modern game, but in the case of Morelos someone is doing overtime to keep his name fresh in the media and linked to an array of teams across Europe.

If Morelos starts the season in Scotland, he will certainly surpass the 100 goal mark in Rangers colours and it’s almost inexplicable that he has managed to reach that level.

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It defies logic that a young striker who scored 30 goals in one season and 29 in the next has not been bought by a team with greater riches at their disposal.

Perhaps his discipline issues dissuaded some clubs from paying the money, but the length of his stay at Ibrox is an anomaly for a player of his talent.

The time is coming where Morelos will move on and there is an argument to be made that the player should be allowed to make his departure sooner rather than later.

He has spoken in the past about his desire to play at a higher level and to his immense credit, he has never seemed to thrown the toys out of the pram to make that happen. His commitment and passion for the club have been fierce and these qualities are what makes him such an icon to a generation of fans.

Yet his interests will inevitably lie elsewhere - to go far in Europe, to win titles in other countries, and to push his way into the Colombian first team.

To get a return of 94 goals from a £1 million signing has been utterly phenomenal.

Despite the increased quality of players around him, Morelos remains one of Rangers’ most valuable assets. If the player’s intentions lie elsewhere, Rangers should look for an amicable exit with a player that’s given so much to the club.

Between Itten, Defoe, Sakala, Roofe, and potentially one other if Morelos does leave, Rangers have bigger questions to answer if these players can’t fill the gap his departure creates.

Even with potential Champions League football, player trading needs to become normalised and Alfredo is the ideal candidate to kick start this crucial tenet of the club's business plan into action.

Of course, the grief of losing such a wonderful player would be challenging.

There will be games where we all question why we allowed him to leave, but this is the nature of Scottish football.

Celtic’s squad is admittedly a mess at the moment, but their ability to sell players remains undimmed and Rangers must begin to match this.

I certainly won’t shed a tear if Morelos is still a Rangers player in September, but I also wouldn’t want to see a special relationship soured.

If Alfredo Morelos leaves, I look forward to his next club becoming my second team.