Rangers Go Mental Over Major Lawrence Shankland Update | OneFootball

Rangers fans are understandably going mental after Captain James Tavernier shared a photo of his traditional summer training session in Dubai—this time in the company of long-term Rangers target Lawrence Shankland. Ibrox Noise had understood that Shankland was 99% close to a move to the Championship with West Brom, but in actual fact, no agreement was ever signed or agreed, and other clubs remain interested in the Scotland man’s services.

He is, of course, hoping for the one move he really wants—and that is to join Tavernier at Ibrox.

Is it going to happen? Unfortunately for Shankland, the majority of Rangers fans don’t appear to endorse him anymore—not in the way they once did. He is a Rangers man, he is a prolific goalscorer, and he is technically still the current captain of Hearts. The manager at Tynecastle, Derek McInnes, hopes to persuade his captain to stay, but there really is very little chance of that. Hearts can’t afford the wage that Shankland wants. They can’t deliver the level of ambition he’s aiming for.

Lawrence is seeking something around £20,000+ a week. He is approaching 30 now—slowly—and this is his last chance to get a big, big move. He doesn’t want Hearts anymore, and they can’t afford to pay what he wants—what, to be fair, he deserves.

Rangers fans these days are looking at his dire season last campaign. Ibrox Noise is 100% sure that this is the worst way to measure Shankland’s merits as a Rangers player. He already knew he wanted to leave before that season even started. As a result, the head went definitively down, and he just wasn’t at it that year.

The other problem, of course, was that he wasn’t even being played as a proper nine. Most fans won’t realise that Shankland’s position was actually as a ten. That’s right—the ex-manager Paul Critchley put him in a role that wasn’t ideal for his strengths, and he didn’t score half as many.

So, on top of not wanting to be there, he was playing in the wrong position. Hardly the best way to assess a striker’s merits.

And now, Rangers fans don’t seem to want him at Ibrox. But the fact is, Shankland’s striker stats—when played in his correct slot—are outstanding. He was, of course, player of the year the season before. Let’s not forget that small part.

Shankland would be a great asset for Rangers, and he’s a complete risk-free signing. The cost of his wages would be modest, he would arrive on a Bosman, and he’s a Rangers man.

And as soon as you mention someone is a Rangers man, the detractors dismiss it with “oh well, I could play for Rangers too, I’m a Rangers man.” Seemingly forgetting the actual merits of the player in question.

But the reality is—the only ones who dismiss his attributes are those who simply don’t want him to come to Rangers regardless.

Yes, Ibrox Noise would 100% take Shankland.

And while Tavernier’s photo doesn’t confirm anything beyond the fact Shankland is preparing for the new season, it’s still a lovely clue that could hint that he does still want to come to Rangers.

Maybe he will.