Rangers: Lawrence Shankland transfer from Hearts to Ibrox considered near-certainty

Lawrence Shankland moving to Rangers is "as close as you can think" to a guaranteed transfer this summer, says Peter Martin.

The PLZ Soccer journalist said on The Football Show on 22 March that he believes the Hearts striker leaving for Ibrox is as good as a "dead-cert" after months of links.

With Blair Spittal and James Penrice believed to be headed to Tynecastle from Motherwell and Livingston respectively Martin indicated he's as good as convinced that 28-year-old striker Shankland will then be joining Philippe Clement's squad.

He said (41m 45s): "Scottish players and homegrown players, I wonder what the attitude will be from Celtic and Rangers, obviously there's European football to think of next season.

"I think it's a dead-cert, it might be not a dead-cert, but as close as you can think, everybody thinks Lawrence Shankland is going to end up at Rangers."

Scotland international striker to leave Tynecastle for Rangers?

So much of the focus during the January transfer window and the months leading up to it focused on the Gers making a push to add the Jambos skipper, but it ultimately didn't appear to be close.

His contract situation in Edinburgh, where he has rejected all extension offers and will have a year left at the end of the season, leaves the door open to a possible move once the campaign is over.

But Martin's stance is far more certain than has largely been the case from anyone so far this season.

There is an argument to suggest that if he had made the switch midseason then Rangers might have the title race tied up by now, but as it is Cyriel Dessers and Fabio Silva have held the fort relatively well.

The Nigerian continues to frustrate at times and didn't have his best game in the defeat to Benfica, while the Portuguese star is not a definitive number nine.

Danilo will be back from injury for next season but Kemar Roofe is expected to leave, while the futures of Dessers and Sam Lammers aren't clear.

If the money is right it would seem like a no-brainer to bring Shankland to the club he supports after 27 goals and counting this term, and it seems like perhaps it is close to becoming a reality.

In other Rangers news, the Light Blues have been hit by a new injury blow during the international break.

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