Rangers Opinion: Why the Gers should snap up Lawrence Shankland?

According to a report from Wales Online, Ayr United hit-man Lawrence Shankland has rejected a big-money move to the Belgian second-tier.

Belgian outfit Saint Gilloise offered the 23-year-old a deal that would have trebled his wages but he has turned down a switch to the European nation.

Lawrence Shankland is one of the hottest properties in Scotland, having notched an eye-watering 31 goals in 33 appearances for Ayr United in the Scottish Championship thus far this season.

And that form hasn’t gone unnoticed, with the likes of Rangers, Celtic, Hull City, Sunderland and Swansea City all showing interest in the striker, adds the report.

The 23-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season, however, and it gives a massive chance for all the aforementioned clubs to try their luck of landing the striker on a Bosman transfer this summer.

That being said, Rangers should do everything possible to get their icy hands on Shankland ahead of the 2019/20 campaign.

Rangers have another big summer on the horizon as they try and bridge the gap in Glasgow after failing 10 points behind arch-rivals Celtic before the international break.

Steven Gerrard has brought in 19 new faces so far since taking the reins at Ibrox and with clear gulf between his team and Celtic still existing, the Rangers chief could again overhaul his squad in the summer.

The Gers have arguably the best striker in the Premiership in Alfredo Morelos, who has extended his deal at Ibrox until 2023. He has netted 28 goals in all competitions this season which has left the Gers being over-reliant on him on a number of times.

And that has cost the Ibrox-based outfit a lot of points this season; however, Gerrard has hinted he’ll address the problem at the “right time”.

If we are to go by the Gerrard’s words, the Rangers manager wants a new no.9 to ease the team’s over-dependency on Morelos. Ayr’s Lawrence Shankland would be a brilliant fit for the Gers, making him the perfect player to complement Morelos up front.

Shankland, formerly of Aberdeen, has good pace and technique to hold up the ball and bring his teammates into the game. The Scotsman is a lethal finisher in the box as he is strong on both the feet that help him bury chances in the back of the net.

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The natural-born goal-scorer has the potential to make step up in the Scottish Premiership after previously failing to dazzle in Aberdeen colours.

Verdict

Given his goal-scoring exploits, age and the interest in the player, Gerrard should prioritise plucking Shankland away when his contract at Ayr expires. On a free transfer, the 23-year-old’s addition would be one of the biggest bargains in Rangers’ history.