Lawrence Shankland latest updates: Southampton plot move, Saudi Arabian interest, Hearts boss speaks out | OneFootball

Hearts striker Lawrence Shankland is reportedly attracting interest from Southampton.

Shankland established a reputation as a prolific striker north of the border with impressive spells with the likes of Queen's Park, Ayr United and Dundee United before joining Belgian side Beerschot in August 2021.

He returned to Scotland last summer with Hearts and enjoyed an outstanding debut season at Tynecastle, scoring 28 goals and providing four assists in 47 appearances in all competitions to help his side to a fourth-placed finish in the Scottish Premiership.

Shankland captained the Jambos for much of last season and has retained the armband this campaign in the absence of Craig Gordon.

His fine form has continued into the new season, scoring five goals and registering one assist in six appearances in all competitions, but Hearts could be facing a battle to keep hold of their star striker in the remaining days of the transfer window.

Southampton plot move

TEAMtalk claimed last week that Southampton had "enquired about the signing" of Shankland.

The Saints have reportedly identified Shankland as a replacement for Che Adams, with Everton said to be in talks over a £12 million move for the 27-year-old.

It remains to be seen whether the Toffees will pursue a deal for Adams after they completed the signing of Beto from Udinese, but they are not the only club keen on Adams, with Football Insider claiming Crystal Palace could make a move over the coming days.

Adams was left out of the squad for the 2-1 win over Queens Park Rangers at St Mary's on Saturday, with manager Russell Martin revealing post-match that he had agreed with the striker that he would not play amid the ongoing speculation regarding his future.

Journalist Dean Jones provided an update on Southampton's interest in Shankland, claiming that the Saints are working on a deal for the Scotsman.

"I know that they have been kept informed on Shankland, so it’s worth being open-minded about the possibilities around that one but over the weekend there was no sign of it being an imminent signing," Jones told GIVEMESPORT.

"I said before that Che Adams had reservations about joining Everton and that situation would have implications on what they do in this window.

"Obviously, he is still in demand, but Saints need to aim for a seamless transition towards a new signing if he does go and that’s why options like Shankland are being lined up in the background."

Saudi Arabian interest

Southampton face competition for Shankland's signature, with .

There has been an increasing trend this summer of players making the move out to Saudi Arabia and it could be tough for the Saints to compete financially with those clubs.

Hearts boss speaks out

Speaking earlier this month, Hearts head coach Frankie McAvoy says he was unaware of any interest in Shankland.

While McAvoy did admit that sporting director Joe Savage and technical director Steven Naismith are in charge of transfers, the former Preston North End boss says that Shankland has not expressed a desire to leave the club.

"Joe and Naisy deal with recruitment and transfers. As far as I’m concerned, he [Shankland] hasn’t intimated to me that he wants to move on. I’m not surprised if there is speculation regarding him because he’s a top player and he’s our captain," McAvoy told Football Scotland earlier this month.