Lawrence Shankland to score ‘every week’ at Rangers if mooted £5m Hearts transfer goes ahead
Lawrence Shankland would scored 15-20 goals “in his sleep at Rangers” but a deal is likely to cost them as much as £5million, according to Tam McManus.
Speaking on PLZ Soccer’s preview show on 2 November, ahead of the Viaplay Cup semi-final where the Hearts captain is set to face the Gers again, the pundit said he was “surprised” a move hadn’t been explored in the summer when the struggling Cyriel Dessers was signed and expects a possible transfer to cost in the same region of his £4.5m fee [Daily Mail, 4 July].
Former Ibrox man Lee McCulloch also believes Shankland, 28, would score “every week” if he made the switch but feels Hearts can “demand any sort of money for him” currently.
McManus said (16m 40s): “I think Shankland is great. Shankland would play for Rangers, get into the Rangers side right now and play. I don’t know if that’s a mixture of Shankland being very good or the others Rangers are signing not being very good.
“In terms of Lawrence Shankland I was surprised that Rangers never went for him or a Kevin Nibet, or even a [Kevin] Van Veen, somebody that you know knows their Scottish football and will get you 15-20 goals. Shankland would score 15-20 goals in his sleep at Rangers.
“They gambled and went abroad and it’s not paid off so far. I think Shankland will be the best forward on the pitch [on 5 November]. Have Hearts got the players round about him to give him service? Rangers, with Cantwell and guys like that, have got players who can feed the strikers.”
McCulloch then said: “I would certainly agree with that, I think he’s more than good enough to be starting for Rangers every week. I think he’d score lots and lots of goals. He’s a penalty box striker and with the chances that Cantwell and everybody [would make]… I just see Shankland scoring every week for Rangers…
“Hearts can name their price, which could literally be anything. If he was out of contract at the end of the season it’d be different, but he’s got a couple of years left so Hearts can demand any sort of money for him.”
McManus added: “£4m I think. Three, four, five million I think,” and when Dessers’ price was cited he said, “Well, there you go, that’s your answer.”
Price worth paying
The fact that both Dessers and Sam Lammers scored in the 5-0 thrashing of Dundee on Wednesday night aside, it has so far looked like an oversight to pursue the two Italian-based forwards this summer over the likes of the Jambos captain.
That he headed a great goal past Jack Butland last week as part of a strong all-round performance while the Ibrox duo strained to get anything going has made the contrast all the more apparent.
Given the chance to conduct the transfer window again there would be plenty who would instead spend their fees on Shankland, but whether such a hefty amount would be available in January after shelling out around £14m on the front line in the summer is questionable.
If the goals scored by all three of the new strikers at Dens Park this week is a sign of things to come then perhaps the clamour for the Scotland international will die down.
But having already cost Michael Beale his job the overhauled front line still has a long way to go to prove themselves at Ibrox.
And assuming the better quality service from the rest of the Rangers squad would translate in the guaranteed success that McManus and McCulloch envisage then it sounds like an investment the club possibly can’t afford not to make.
In other Rangers news, Jim White and Simon Jordan reacted furiously to a talkSPORT listener amid Light Blues controversy, retorting “nobody cares what you think”.