Rangers should sign Lawrence Shankland to replace unreliable Cyriel Dessers – journalist
Rangers should be looking to sign Hearts forward Lawrence Shankland to replace Cyriel Dessers, according to Dean Jones.
Speaking to GiveMeSport on Wednesday (29 November), the former Eurosport journalist said he doesn’t believe the 28-year-old Nigerian international is a “reliable enough” goalscorer to help the Gers challenge for the SPFL title.
He added that if there is a genuine thought that the Light Blues can win the league this season, then they should be looking at what Scotland international Shankland can bring to the club.
“Even if Dessers was fit for the whole season, I don’t think he’s a reliable enough goalscorer to depend on for you to win a title,” said Jones. “I think Rangers need to go out and find a better source of goals.
“I think that if there is a genuine thought process here that Rangers are going to go and win the league, then they should be looking at Shankland and wondering what he could bring. With Shankland, I don’t even think it’s just the goals that are important.”
Easier said than done
There are several factors that need to be overcome before Rangers would be able to land a deal for the 28-year-old Shankland in the January transfer window.
The first point is that Hearts would be desperate to keep hold of their captain and would be looking for a decent chunk of change to allow him to join an SPFL rival.
That would open up the conversation around how much Philippe Clement will have to spend and whether he feels as though he needs a few new signings.
There is also the fact that Dessers has been in much better form since the Belgian arrived at Ibrox, having scored three goals in his four league appearances under the new Gers boss.
Another message that has been driven home by the Light Blues hierarchy in recent weeks is that they want younger players to join the club, so perhaps the transfer window could see a different type of player come through the door.
In other Rangers news, a former Celtic man has downplayed the impact of Clement at Ibrox.