Rangers have agreed a deal to sign Hearts captain Lawrence Shankland, subject to a medical, with the striker set to put pen to paper on an initial two-year deal until summer 2028, with an option to extend by a further 12 months. The Ibrox club moved decisively to finalise the agreement before Shankland joins up with Scotland’s World Cup squad.
Rangers confirm Lawrence Shankland signing in major summer statement
The Scotland striker was previously linked with a move to Ibrox when he was a free agent last summer, but no approach was made, and he signed a new three-year deal to remain at Tynecastle. However, Rangers are now set to sign the 30-year-old after it emerged that his Hearts contract contains a release clause allowing him to exit the club this summer. Shankland scored 20 goals for Hearts, including 16 in the Scottish Premiership, as they narrowly missed out on a historic league title on the final day.
According to Football Insider, former Manchester United chief scout Mick Brown cautioned that Rangers were at serious risk of becoming Scotland’s third club after finishing behind both Celtic and Hearts. Brown stated the only answer was meaningful summer investment, and bringing in Shankland ticks that box cleanly.
“I’ve had concerns about Rangers for a while now,” Brown told Football Insider.
“They’ve been slipping further and further back, and this season they were outperformed by Hearts, so they’re very much at risk of becoming the third team there.
“They have some serious concerns about their players and their results not just this season but for a few years in a row now.
“The only way they can avoid that is by strengthening in the transfer window, they need to get players in who can help them close that gap.
“Shankland has had a very good reputation for a while in Scotland and Rangers have been big fans of his, so it’s perfect timing for them to get that deal done.
“Not only does it strengthen their team, but it weakens Hearts as well, so that’s a huge boost for them.
“It’s a real coup if you can sign the best players from your rivals and that’s exactly the sort of thing Rangers need to kickstart their improvements.”
Why Rangers need this move to work?
Danny Rohl has liked playing two strikers up top in a 4-2-2-2 system, and in Shankland, he will get someone who could thrive in that system. The Scottish striker’s movement, alongside Chermiti’s hold-up play, could produce the best striking partnership in Scotland. Shankland’s leadership qualities will also see him earmarked as a clear option to take on the Rangers captaincy during pre-season, having captained Hearts throughout their title challenge this season.
Does Shankland actually suit Rangers?
I do feel, yes, but with some reservations. He is a penalty-box striker whose entire game revolves around clever movement and clinical finishing inside the area. At 30, he is not going to press relentlessly or carry the ball through midfield. That suits Rohl’s two-striker system, because someone else handles the dirty work. The concern is his age and a hamstring injury that kept him out from January to March this season.
His market value sits at roughly €2.7m, modest for a reason. Shankland is not a hidden gem; he is a known quantity in Scottish football. Rangers’ real problem has been the squad around the striker position rather than the striker itself. Shankland will score goals at this level; that much is near certain given his record, but whether Rangers build a genuinely title-worthy squad around him remains the bigger, still-unanswered question heading into next season.
