Rangers set for multimillion pound Lawrence Shankland transfer decision vs Hearts after first audition passed with flying colours
If Lawrence Shankland is indeed in the thoughts of the Rangers hierarchy ahead of the January transfer window then he can secure an Ibrox switch with his second in-person audition in the space of eight days.
The Hearts captain was the stand-out performer for his side at Ibrox last Sunday (29 October) as he scored an excellent early opener and had a strong all-round game that came within minutes of securing an upset win.
He outshone the likes of Cyriel Dessers and Sam Lammers on the day and speculation that Philippe Clement could be moved to push for him in January shot up as a result.
The Belgian highlighted his awareness of the 28-year-old ahead of kick-off, having followed Shankland since his spell in the Jupiler Pro League, suggesting an element of interest existed before he even took the Ibrox job.
The Scotland international has been tipped to cost as much as £5million given the Jambos are bound to be far from delighted by the prospect of losing their skipper to Rangers, but is also considered a certain success if he makes the switch.
In football the world over it frequently proves the fastest way to convince a club on a player that may have otherwise been one of many on their radar if they demonstrate their worth against them directly, and Shankland certainly did that last weekend.
Rangers facing Steven Naismith on successive Sunday’s as they battle for a place in the Viaplay Cup Final on Hampden on 5 November, and any doubt within the corridors of power at Ibrox could be blown away if the striker puts on another show.
Dessers and Lammers both scored in midweek, so if they both add to that they could still have a say in the matter, with Danilo arguably having proved himself already.
A deal with Hearts would be far easier said than done, but with multiple pundits and journalists already suggesting a move may be on the cards in the New Year it is likely to be a subject that Clement and the board simply can’t ignore if Shankland outshines his Rangers counterparts two weekends in a row.
If they were wavering after last week, having ignored him in favour of Michael Beale’s targets in the summer, the decision could be made by the final whistle at Hampden if he delivers a repeat performance.
In other Rangers news, a SPFL alternative could be leaving his current club in January and the Gers have been tipped to get involved.