Scottish giants Rangers are reportedly looking to strengthen their squad with the acquisition of Hearts star striker and captain Lawrence Shankland. Some media outlets in Scotland are even claiming that terms have already been agreed, subject to a medical, after Rangers were reported to have activated a clause in his contract.
Rangers were believed to be interested in signing the 30-year-old last summer when he was out of contract. However, the deal never materialised, and the big forward signed a new three-year deal that included the aforementioned clause.
View this post on Instagram
Hearts are reluctant to let one of their key players leave the club, but the forward reportedly wants to complete the move.
Shankland has been outstanding for Hearts
The forward has been outstanding for Hearts since his arrival from the Belgian outfit Beerschot in the summer of 2022. The striker has been highly effective in attack for the capital side, scoring 88 goals and also contributing 29 in 171 appearances in all competitions.
He played a prominent role in Hearts’ title challenge this season, scoring 16 goals and producing a further five assists in the Scottish top-flight, as the Jambos finished as runners-up in the SPL.
Shankland is also the Hearts captain and has led by example for the Edinburgh club in recent seasons.
Hearts could lose even more key players
Despite enjoying such a strong campaign in the SPL last season, Hearts could be set to lose even more of their first-team players this summer. Cammy Devlin, Beni Baningime, Frankie Kent, Craig Gordon and Alan Forrest are all out of contract, and their futures with the club are in doubt.
The SPL runners-up have at least been able to strengthen their squad with the pre-contract signing of St. Johnstone star Josh McPake. The 24-year-old was in outstanding form for the Perth Saints last season, scoring 19 goals and producing three assists in all competitions.
They will be hoping to add further signings in the coming weeks, as the Edinburgh club looks to avoid losing momentum from their gallant title challenge of last season.