Ex-Rangers striker signs new Santos deal under club's 'adapted salary policy' after relegation

Ex Rangers talisman Alfredo Morelos has agreed to remain at Santos FC after signing a new deal under the club's "adapted salary policy" - despite playing just 76 minutes of football since last summer.

The 27-year-old striker has yet to score for the Brazilian side since arriving in September last year and has been restricted to just three appearances due to a combination of fitness and injury-related issues. Morelos could have exited Pele's former club after suffering their first ever relegation from the top-flight last season through a break clause in his contract.

However, the Colombian has opted to stay with the team as they prepare to start their second tier campaign for the first time in their history. He has been given no assurances of regular game time by new manager Fabio Carille, who has informed the frontman that he won't play under him until he regains full fitness.

The ex Ibrox star battled a number of fitness problems throughout his time in Glasgow but he has joined fellow players Tomas Rincon, Joao Paulo and Julio Furch in putting pen to paper on a new deal for the 2024 season under Santos' new salary policy. It means Morelos has accepted a huge reduction in his wages compared to his previous deal - worth a reported £40,000 per week. 

He will attempt to fire the club to promotion at the first time of asking but will need to impress former Corinthians boss Carille, who is convinced he can get the best out of the frontman. Morelos won't be available for the next couple of matches as he recovers from a calf injury sustained at the end of last season.

A club statement on X, formerly Twitter, read: "EL BÚFALO CONTINUES!

"Following the example of Tomás Rincón, João Paulo, and Julio Furch, striker Alfredo Morelos also adapted to the salary policy that has been implemented by the new management and will remain at Santos Futebol Clube in 2024.

"An idol at Rangers, in Scotland, Morelos scored 125 goals and distributed 32 assists in 269 games played, becoming Scottish and national cup champion. Furthermore, the athlete is the third highest scorer in the history of the Europa League, with 32 goals."

New first-team manager Carille said: "I think it may take a while for Alfredo to become fully fit because he is still recovering from the impact of a calf injury he suffered last year. He won't play in our next two games for sure. Look, he played for seven years in Scotland and it's difficult to play there. You need to be tough.

"I actually came up against him once in a tournament in Florida when I was manager of Corinthians and he was playing for Rangers. He's a guy with a lot of speed, he throws himself between the defenders and is intelligent in the way he receives the ball in space. Morelos has all the tools needed to do what he does best, which is score goals. He will be a very important player for us this season."