Glasgow (AFP) – Alfredo Morelos showed why Steven Gerrard is desperate to keep him as the striker’s hat-trick fired Rangers to a 3-1 victory over Kilmarnock in the Scottish League Cup on Sunday.
Morelos was the subject of a bid from French club Bordeaux earlier this week, but Rangers boss Gerrard warned it would take an offer approaching £10 million to prise the Colombian away from Ibrox.
The 22-year-old’s first Rangers treble will boost the asking price even further as the Glasgow side eased into the quarter-finals, where they will host Ayr United.
Borna Barisic briefly gave Killie hope with an own goal just after half-time but the only worry for Gerrard from an afternoon on the plastic pitch at Rugby Park was a serious-looking knee injury sustained by Jamie Murphy.
Morelos will feel aggrieved not to have been credited with four goals as his effort from Ryan Kent’s cross appeared to have crossed the line before Stephen O’Donnell hooked the ball clear.
There was no denying Morelos on 28 minutes as he grabbed the opener with a bullet header from James Tavernier’s cross.
Killie were almost level five minutes later as Kirk Broadfoot smacked a header off the bar but Rangers doubled their lead on 43 minutes.
Tavernier’s long ball down the right-hand channel should have been dealt with by Scott Boyd but he allowed himself to be rolled by Morelos, who made the defender pay with a cool finish.
Barisic diverted Jordan Jones’ cross into his own net on 51 minutes.
But it was game over with 16 minutes left as Morelos tucked home his hat-trick from close-range.
Holders Celtic will travel to St. Johnstone in the last eight after seeing off Partick Thistle 3-1 on Saturday.
Hearts host Motherwell, while Aberdeen will face the winners of Hibs and Ross County, who play later on Sunday.
