Ayr United’s striker Lawrence Shankland is in red hot form and in demand as the forward is linked (Daily Star) with the likes of Celtic, Rangers, Swansea City, Sunderland and Hull City. Celtic could turn out to be one of the favorites to sign him as they can offer him a chance to play in the Champions League. However, Rangers could emerge victorious in this race as Lawrence Shankland had previously claimed that he was a boyhood Rangers fans.
So much so that he even called Rangers ‘my team’ when he gave an interview. He told BBC’s Off the Ball radio program: “I was there when I was a young boy, only for around ten months.”
Asked if he had ‘unfinished business’ at Ibrox, Shankland said: ‘I hope so. It [Rangers] was my team.”
The striker has also visited Ibrox to watch a few games this season, and there is no doubt (to us atleast) that he would jump at the opportunity at signing for the Gers. The 21-year-old had even spent ten months at the youth level with the Bears before joining Aberdeen.
One can understand why there is such a frenzy to sign Shankland as he has managed 31 goals and eight assists in all competitions in the Scottish Championship. It’s true that he might not be able to replicate similar numbers in the top division, but it’s clear that the striker knows where the back of the net is.
Moreover, he is currently in the final few months of his contract and is going to be available for free. That would make him a no-risk signing for any of the clubs that manages to lure him. Rangers do have someone like Alfredo Morelos who has done the bulk of scoring for the Bears, but the Colombian is likely to attract a lot of interest in the summer. Therefore Gerrard might have to look for his replacement.
One of the major reasons why the club might need another striker is because Kyle Lafferty has failed to live up to expectations and Jermain Defoe might not be able to play every game for the Gers as he is in his mid-thirties.
So we expect Rangers to sign a striker and Shankland currently looks like a decent bet to us. Given that he is a boyhood Rangers fan, a fair wage offer from the Bears might do the trick, and the red hot striker can come back to his boyhood club to showcase his worth.
