No Lawrence Shankland to Rangers transfer baffles Sky Sports pundit as ‘big move away from Hearts’ may now be gone
Lawrence Shankland’s “big move away from Hearts” may have passed him by when Rangers should have moved to sign him before now, according to Kris Boyd.
The Sky Sports pundit wrote in his Scottish Sun column on 3 November that he “can’t understand” why the Scotland international hasn’t been targeted by the Light Blues as he is better than the likes of Cyriel Dessers.
While Boyd is increasingly impressed by what he has seen from Danilo he believes Shankland will be the danger man in the Viaplay Cup semi final on Sunday (5 November), but suggested a possible switch to Ibrox might never happen.
Boyd said: “I’ve said it before, I can’t understand why my old club haven’t made a move to sign the Scotland squad man. I rate him higher than Cyriel Dessers at Ibrox, that’s for sure.
“But Danilo has returned from injury in the last few weeks, and I’m beginning to like what I see…
“Maybe Shankland has seen that big move away from Hearts pass him by now. He’s had a slight dip in form in recent months, although that’s probably due to the team he’s been playing in, and has been the odd man out in the Scotland squad.
“Stevie Clarke clearly likes his qualities, but Shankland has been the guy sitting in the stand for games, and has been left out altogether at times.
“At Hearts, he went eight games without scoring. But against Celtic a fortnight ago, and then against Rangers at Ibrox last weekend, he scored good goals.
“Shankland is a player who needs to work much harder for his goals than anyone at the Old Firm, and his stats down the years stack up with anyone’s.
“The striker’s link-up work is always tidy, and he’s improved hugely when it comes to bringing those around him into play. He’s also been given the responsibility of being captain at the Jambos, and that shows his influence behind the scenes.
“Shankland’s header in the first five minutes at Ibrox last weekend was textbook, and it showed he’s someone Philippe Clement’s side will need to watch closely at Hampden.”
Numbers game
With the benefit of hindsight, at this stage at least, the Rangers hierarchy would likely go back and move for Shankland over one of Dessers or Sam Lammers in the summer.
But with millions spent on the struggling pair, before even more was splashed out on Danilo, the club has four senior strikers on their books already, none of whom have been scoring every week so far.
For Kemar Roofe that is because he simply can’t stay fit, and for Danilo that is because his adaptation to Scottish football was badly interrupted by a cheek bone fracture suffered in scoring at St Johnstone.
Lammers and Dessers did both score in the 5-0 hammering of Dundee in midweek, and perhaps both will come good in time, but have struggled for form despite featuring regularly.
Given it is going to surely take at least a few million more to convince Hearts to consider parting with Shankland it may be that in terms of squad size and cash available it is an unfeasible prospect.
Philippe Clement is hard at work trying to improve the players he already has but would surely like to make signings in January, and has already indicated he is familiar with Shankland’s work.
If his strikers aren’t among the goals in the next two months it would be no surprise if he is looking to add an alternative in the New Year, so with Roofe likely gone at the end of the season when his contract expires and £5million brought in for Glen Kamara just before the previous deadline [The Athletic, 31 August] perhaps there would just be space to prove Boyd wrong.
In other Rangers news, Simon Jordan has admitted he “likes the cut” of one man at Ibrox after Jim White claimed he was a fan.