Hearts figure 'battered' over Lawrence Shankland to Rangers remark

Rangers being told they couldn't afford Lawrence Shankland led to Joe Savage being "absolutely battered", the former Hearts man has said.

Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland's Off The Ball, the ex-Hearts sporting director said he was made to instantly regret his comments on Shankland on Deadline Day of the 2023 January transfer window.

Shankland staying at Tynecastle resulted in him scoring 31 goals in all competitions last season to be crowned Scotland's Player of the Year, but a prospected big-money transfer to Ibrox is still yet to occur.

In quotes reported by the Daily Record (30 November), Savage said: “I got battered for that. I said Rangers couldn’t afford Lawrence Shankland and I got absolutely battered for it.

“But it was the last day of the window and nobody was signing Shanks at that time because we weren’t going to sell him.

"There was no approach, no conversation whatsoever. In my time at Hearts we never got approached by Rangers to sign Lawrence Shankland.”

Rangers need to make up minds for Lawrence Shankland transfer

Although it's arguable that the Gers missed the boat on signing Shankland ahead of his free-scoring 2023/24 campaign, the shoe now seems to be on the other foot where the striker is concerned.

Shankland has only scored once so far this term as opposed to plundering over 30 goals last season, and with his contract fast running out at Tynecastle, it remains to be seen if a move to Ibrox will happen.

Savage's comments about the Gers being unable to afford Shankland may have drawn fans' ire in early 2023, but in late 2024, his statement rings true, with losses of over £17million in their latest accounts.

While senior figures at Ibrox were hesitant to opt for Shankland as the club's main striker over Cyriel Dessers [Rangers Review, 24 July], both have come in for criticism this term – particularly the Gers frontman.

There's no telling whether Shankland will eventually end up in Light Blue once his time at Hearts comes to an end, but if the Gers do sign him even as soon as January, it's still a transfer long overdue.

In other Rangers news, Hugh Keevins pointed out how impressive Philippe Clement's record in Europe is since arriving at Ibrox.

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