New Lawrence Shankland twist emerges that will affect West Brom and Southampton | OneFootball

New Lawrence Shankland twist emerges that will affect West Brom and Southampton | OneFootball

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·2 luglio 2025

New Lawrence Shankland twist emerges that will affect West Brom and Southampton

Immagine dell'articolo:New Lawrence Shankland twist emerges that will affect West Brom and Southampton

Both Championship clubs were reportedly keen on signing the Hearts free agent.

A new update on reported Southampton and West Brom striker target Lawrence Shankland has majorly affected their chances of signing him.


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The two Championship sides had been linked with the Hearts centre-forward by The Scottish Sun this summer following what was a down year for the 29-year-old.

Shankland had reached 26 goals in the two campaigns prior to the last one, but the Scottish international only managed to find the back of the net eight times in all competitions in the 2024/25 campaign.

Lawrence Shankland set to stay put amid Championship interest

He entered this month without a club and without a contract, having not yet accepted the terms that had been offered to him by Hearts. That, though, is set to change as Fabrizio Romano has reported that he is set to stay with the Edinburgh club moving forward, rejecting "big money from abroad."

It had been reported that there was interest in Shankland from Saudi Arabia, which may be what the Italian transfer journalist is hinting at. Romano's report also suggests that staying with Hearts was always the preferred option for the striker, and it will come as a potential blow to the English clubs who were supposedly keen on the Scot's services.

Immagine dell'articolo:New Lawrence Shankland twist emerges that will affect West Brom and Southampton

Southampton are chasing a number nine target that their technical director has put a lot of work into, according to their chairman, Dragan Solak. They have been heavily linked with American attacker Damion Downs in recent days, with a total offer in excess of €10 million (£8.6 million) reportedly being tabled to FC Koln, his current club.

The 20-year-old is into the final year of his deal. He scored 10 goals in 29 Bundesliga 2 appearances last time out. Southampton are looking to capitalise on his potential and his wobbly contract status.

West Brom's summer isn't likely to be as active as the Saints. The club's chairman and owner, Shilen Patel, said in an open letter to the club's supporters that they won't have an abundance of finances to go out and revolutionise Ryan Mason's squad in the current window. Money could be generated from the sale of Tom Fellows, who has been linked with Everton.

Lawrence Shankland wouldn't have guaranteed goals for Southampton or West Brom

And while the Baggies, in particular, need to find more people who can put the ball in the back of the net, Shankland might not have necessarily been that answer. There is a big difference in overall quality between the Scottish Premiership and the Championship.

From top to bottom, teams in the English second tier are much closer together on talent and performance than in the first division north of the border. Especially given his output last season, serious questions were understandably raised about Shankland's suitability for two clubs that want to challenge for promotion to the Premier League.

The striker's decision may have forced the Championship pairing into unknowingly dodging a bullet.

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