Rangers tipped for cash plus players swap deal for Hearts captain Lawrence Shankland with Celtic also linked
Hearts won’t want to lose captain Lawrence Shankland unless it is a deal of “real value” to them so Rangers could look to secure a cash plus players deal for him, according to Craig Moore.
The former Ibrox defender on the Go Radio Football Show on 31 October, as per Football Scotland, that the Jambos striker “should be of interest” to the Light Blues after the “wonderful” header he scored against them at the weekend, with the “big strong boy” backed to continue to produce goals if he were to make a Glasgow switch.
He also feels that Celtic might investigate a move along the same lines, with ex-Hoops striker John Hartson suggesting that Shankland, 28, would cost a similar amount to former Hibs man Kevin Nisbet when he made his summer Millwall move.
Moore said: “He’s going to score goals domestically, we know that. He scores a wonderful header against Rangers at the weekend, there was a bit of work to be done on the header.
“Does he have the legs? But I think in a better environment, I think he has to work harder. I think that can be there but he clearly can score goals and I think he should be of interest to Rangers. I think there needs to be more depth in that area.
“He’s physically strong and I actually think he’s improved over the years. He links up the play a lot better now. He’s a big strong boy, he knows how to pin and protect the ball from a central defender. He did that a couple of times with Davies.
“But most importantly he scores goals and I think that would continue at a club like Rangers should they make a play for him…
“Rangers and Celtic have a surplus of players and potentially you could do business that way because Hearts will have a decent price in mind because they don’t want to lose their captain and main striker unless it’s of real value to them.”
Hartson added: “I don’t think he’d cost a fortune. I think Hearts would probably get more for him if he moved down south because I don’t think the Scottish teams tend to pay an awful lot of money for a player who is playing at another Scottish side.
“The lad [Kevin Nisbet] just went to Millwall for £1.5million. So maybe around about that figure.” – Nisbet reportedly cost £2m [STV, 10 June].
Too obvious?
Given the struggles of Sam Lammers and Cyriel Dessers so far this term the prospect of a swap for Shankland has likely become very attractive at Ibrox.
Rangers were tipped to consider the Hearts man during the summer but Michael Beale spent millions on the pair from Italy instead before adding Danilo from the Netherlands.
While the Brazilian has shown signs of coming good it isn’t working out for the other two, and surely would make Steven Naismith unlikely to be interested in receiving them in a swap deal.
Naismith, already furious with the late defeat at Ibrox at the weekend, is bound to be loath to lose Shankland under any circumstances, and the possibility that Celtic might get involved would clearly be another threat.
So it is by no means a foregone conclusion that Rangers would be able to land the Scot, despite Philippe Clement seemingly being on the case.
Whether they can come up with the necessary cash, or offer players the Jam Tarts would be interested in, is sure to continue to be in focus all the way up to the January window unless Lammers or Dessers suddenly click.
Performing strongly against a potential suitor is often the quickest way to turn interest into a concrete push for a deal and that is exactly what Shankland produced on Sunday (29 October).
In other Rangers news, one struggling Light Blues man has lost the faith of his teammates who are now not passing to him.