'Will be needed' - Journo issues 'Reliable' Shankland verdict to Rangers after Man Utd defeat

Lawrence Shankland’s potential availability has been highlighted after Rangers struggled to a 2-0 friendly defeat against Manchester United, by Jonny McFarlane.

The Rangers Review journalist reacted via X on 20 July after the Light Blues drew a blank at Murrayfield to point the long-linked Hearts captain has a year left on his contract at Tynecastle.

And in a nod to the wide expectations that Ibrox captain James Tavernier is closing in on a transfer exit this summer Shankland’s penalty-taking is set to also become something that “will be needed”.

McFarlane wrote: “Reminder to goal-shy Rangers: 31 goal Scottish striker Lawrence Shankland now has a year left on his contract.

“He’s not the answer to many problems. He is the answer to one. League goals. Also a reliable penalty taker, which will be needed.”

James Tavernier subject to Rangers exit bids

Shankland isn’t universally agreed to be what Philippe Clement needs this summer but it is increasingly hard to see how the Belgian is better off without the Scotland international.

At nearly 29 there are valid concerns over potential sell-on value but the fact that already 29-year-old Cyriel Dessers is reportedly attracting transfer interest from multiple countries [Chris Jack, 3 July] after a far less impressive campaign last term seems to dispel that.

And even if Shankland were to see out his career at Ibrox and leave for nothing his scoring record in the Scottish Premiership suggests that would be a good thing.

Both Dessers and also Sam Lammers are up for sale [Rangers Review, 29 May] and few could argue with swapping both out while doing a deal for the Hearts star after 59 Jambos goals in two seasons.

After nothing materialised towards Shankland in the January window despite widespread speculation, and weeks have now passed through the summer with little concrete evidence of approaches it suggests Clement and Nils Koppen aren’t going to try for a deal.

Deals to shift the two Gers strikers are proving harder to come by with Lammers apparently priced out of Eredivisie return moves by his oversized contract at Ibrox which may be part of the problem but it could be a missed opportunity if they waiting for a free transfer next summer when it might all be too late.

The penalty argument is perhaps less obvious since Shankland was not the undisputed taker for Hearts last term but is certainly something Clement will need to address.

The “Penalty to Rangers” trope will be much less of a joke if the Light Blues don’t have someone reliable to put them away.

Tavernier has rival interest in Turkey [Takvim, 20 July] as well as from England [Scottish Sun, 19 July] but looks close to a move to Trabzonsor [Daily Record, 19 July] and his scoring output must be replaced.

There is no such thing as a guarantee of success in football but in terms of goals in Scotland Shankland is arguably about as close as you can get but the Gers seem content to look elsewhere.

In other Rangers news, a bid is now on the way to hijack a high-profile Light Blues transfer.

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