With a lot of the news out of Ibrox pointing towards a series of high-profile outgoings this summer, Rangers and Philippe Clement now look set to reignite their interest in one of the Scottish Premiership's best talents.
Rangers may need to sell before they can buy
The main story doing the rounds in Rangers circles is manager Clement's warning that existing stars will need to leave the club before the squad can be rebuilt. As it stands, defenders James Tavernier and Connor Goldson are attracting the most interest with the duo both linked with moves outside of Scotland.
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The Ibrox outfit could be braced for yet another departure.
ByTom CoatesJul 23, 2024
Despite their apparent financial struggles, Rangers have still managed to bring a host of fresh faces through the door at Ibrox during the early passages of the summer window.
Mohamed Diomandé
Nordsjaelland
€5.00m (£4.2million)
Hamza Igamane
FAR Rabat
€2.36million (£2million)
Jefte
Fluminese
€800,000 (£673,000)
Connor Barron
Aberdeen
Free transfer
Liam Kelly
Motherwell
Free transfer
Clinton Nsiala
AC Milan
Free transfer
With Rangers making good use of free transfers during the window so far, the club could now be set to spend big on a target that Clement had previously rejected.
£3m striker back on Rangers' target list
As first reported by The Daily Record, Lawrence Shankland's name has returned to Rangers' list of targets for this summer. The outlet understands that Clement had previously voiced his opposition to bringing the striker to Ibrox in January but now appears to have U-turned on this position.
The report goes on to state that an official bid for Shankland could be made before the Scottish Premiership season starts again on August 3rd. The 28-year-old is now in the final 12 months of his current deal at Hearts and could fetch a fee in the region of £3million if he is to leave the club this summer.
Rangers' continued interest in Shankland is warranted with the striker's impressive campaign last season catching the eye of numerous clubs in Scotland and beyond. The 28-year-old found the back of the net 24 times in the league last season, eight more than that of the Gers' top scorer Cyriel Dessers.
Speaking on Shankland's success at Hearts, his current manager Steven Naismith spoke highly of the player telling the press: "It’s incredible. He’s had plaudits and people have talked throughout the season but I don’t think people will really understand it for a few years until it has been and gone and someone else is scoring goals.
“Hearts did a lot to get him here and then put their faith in him that he was going to be good. He has been a brilliant pro, a good leader, and his goal record over the two seasons here is unbelievable."
With Rangers needing to sell existing players before they can make new signings this summer, Shankland's move to Ibrox will likely rely upon one of the Gers' current stars leaving the club first.