BBC pundit tells Rangers to pay £3m for Lawrence Shankland transfer
Leanne Crichton has urged Rangers to pay £3million to sign Lawrence Shankland from Hearts in January, as he will “guarantee” 20 goals a season.
The Light Blues are set to be in the market for a new forward this January as they look to pip Celtic to the Scottish Premiership title, after Cyriel Dessers, Danilo and Sam Lammers have all struggled to settle at Ibrox.
One name that has been repeatedly linked with a move to Glasgow has been Shankland and BBC Sport pundit Crichton believes Phillipe Clement’s side must spend the money required to sign the 28-year-old.
Speaking on the Go Radio Football Show (12 December, 1:19:00) he said: “It would be interesting because I don’t know what sort of figure Hearts would slap on him in the January window as well, I think it would be slightly inflated. Hearts would probably want at least £2.5 – £3million.
“If I was Rangers, honestly, I would pay the fee. What you’re going to get from Lawrence Shankland is probably the next five years with easily 20 goals a season. I think that’s a guarantee, rarely is he ever injured, and he’s always fit and available.
“He’s a solid 7/10 every week, he’s a Scottish boy, he gets it, he will settle. If I was Rangers and you’ve got that money, you’ve got to spend it.”
Will settle
With the news that Danilo is now set for an extended spell on the sidelines after his latest injury problem, Rangers have to be in the market for a striker this January and it seems that Shankland is the best option and he’s right under their nose.
It might be a fairly expensive deal to complete as Hearts will be reluctant to let their number nine depart midway through a campaign, but as Crichton suggested, he will guarantee 20 goals a season for at least the next five years.
Those 100 goals over the next few campaigns would ensure that the Light Blues are always capable of challenging for the Scottish Premiership and would likely mean that they would be able to recruit elsewhere on the pitch for the next decade.
It would be a huge financial outlay this January, but it would be a genuine investment that would bring excellent returns for many years. Rangers can’t miss out on such a good opportunity, especially when they desperately need reinforcement.
In other Rangers news, Ally McCoist has fired a jibe at Celtic over their latest claims of an Ibrox conspiracy