Rangers: Lawrence Shankland transfer decision surely set in stone after Mohamed Diomande update today
Rangers will surely have to delay a move for Hearts striker Lawrence Shankland following the emergence of an update on Mohamed Diomande.
The Gers agreed a fee for the FC Nordsjaelland midfielder earlier this week, which was widely thought to be for a fairly nominal sum of around £1.5million.
However, B.T – the outlet that first broke the transfer news – reported a far larger figure than that in an update on Tuesday (23 January).
The Danish publication claims that Rangers will instead be splashing out somewhere in the region of £4.5m for Ivorian midfielder Diomande.
That is a fairly hefty outlay for a player who has spent his four-year professional career to date in Denmark’s Superliga.
Diomande certainly looks like a very talented player, and he will hopefully bolster the Gers’ midfield ranks for a number of years to come.
In terms of the more short-term impact of his arrival, Rangers will surely not double up and spend a similar amount on Shankland this month.
Exactly how much Hearts are seeking for Shankland is unknown, but it has been widely reported he is valued between £3.5m to £5m.
Shankland is out of contract at the end of next season, which forces Hearts’ hand somewhat, but he is still a proven goalscorer in this league.
Paying in excess of £4m is therefore not out of the question, but it seems unlikely those funds will be readily available in the January window.
After a large turnover of players last summer, the Gers were expected to tighten the purse strings during the winter period.
To then go and splash close to £10m on two players would be a huge shock, albeit a massive show of faith in Philippe Clement.
Instead, it is looking more likely that the Gers have used this window to focus more on the longer term than the short.
That may not go down well with supporters, who are crying out for a striker to come on board, but it is not the worst decision in the world.
If Hearts are playing hardball, the Gers are right to move on and possibly come back to the negotiating table in the summer.
For now, fans must be happy that we have signed a promising talent in Diomande who may yet have a bigger impact than Shankland ever would have.
In other Rangers news, Clement may soon have an uncomfortable call to make on a certain player.
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