Lawrence Shankland could decide Premiership title as Rangers and Celtic pursue transfer

Rangers can wave goodbye to their chances of winning the Scottish Premiership title if Celtic beat them to the signing of Lawrence Shankland this summer.

The Gers are long-time admirers of the Hearts striker, who won Scotland's Player of the Year award last season, but are yet to table a bid with this term's curtain-raiser – against the Jambos – in just four days' time.

However, arch-rivals Celtic are also keen on the 28-year-old [HITC, 30 July], and are reportedly preparing a bid to hijack the Gers' pursuit despite Philippe Clement's side still being in "pole position" to sign him.

Glaswegian Shankland was the Premiership's top scorer last campaign with 24 goals, firing Hearts to third, and would likely net even more if he was to lead the line for either Old Firm rival next season.

Rangers must seal Lawrence Shankland transfer to ward off Celtic

Wherever Shankland heads this summer – or even if he stays at Tynecastle [Joel Sked, 30 July] – goals will flow, and if they want to win the title, the Light Blues must ensure that those goals are flowing at Ibrox, not Parkhead.

As well as finishing above the Gers by eight points in last season's final table, Celtic also scored eight more goals than their Glasgow rivals, ending up with a superior goal difference of +65 to +55.

With the Premiership's best goalkeeper in Jack Butland between the sticks, Clement must address the Gers' lack of goals up front, and signing Shankland would certainly go some way towards doing so.

Celtic certainly weren't short of goals across their team, but the Bears became increasingly reliant on Cyriel Dessers – resulting in the Nigeria international being panned for almost every chance he didn't put away.

Signing Shankland would not only give Clement a near-guarantee of goals on all fronts next season, but also prevent their rivals from stealing an early, and potentially unassailable, march in the title race.

In other Rangers news, chairman John Bennett gave a brief outline of when the club could return to Ibrox next season.

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