GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - AUGUST 03: Rangers CEO James Bisgrove, Former Rangers Captains Barry Ferguson and Lee McCulloch alongside new Brazilian Forward Danilo during a Rangers Photocall at the new Club Museum at New Edmiston House, August 03, 2023, in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Alan Harvey/SNS Group via Getty Images)
Barry Ferguson has joined the Daily Record bandwagon to take Lawrence Shankland to Ibrox.
It is a favoured tactic used by media partners when cash is tight and a cut price fee is all that can be mustered up.
In the summer of 2015 the same template was used to convince Hibs that Scott Allan’s best career move was a transfer to Ibrox, joining up with his old pal Andy Halliday as part of the Warburton Revolution! In 2018 Kyle Lafferty was used in the same way.
Both clubs were in the Championship at the time, Allan joined Celtic for £350,000 leaving the Ibrox club embarrassed that they couldn’t match that fee for one of their own.
There is very little to suggest that Shankland will be joining Celtic but after Keith Jackson got the ball rolling in midweek Ferguson has added his logic to the yarn with the added bonus that he was pictured speaking to Phil Clement before the midweek defeat from Birmingham City.
In his Daily Record column Ferguson explains:
Vaclav Cerny signed on loan from Wolsfburg and the Czech looks like a good addition. But, now that the funds are starting to come in, all eyes will be on what’s going to happen with Lawrence Shankland and whether or not Rangers can come up with an offer which will tempt Hearts into doing business.
From what I hear, the interest is very real. The difficulty will be reaching an agreement on a price for a player who turns 29 next month and has only one year left on his current contract. Both clubs will have a firm opinion on his market value and they’re unlikely to be in the same ballpark.
I just hope they manage to find a way to meet in the middle because this is a signing that would be good for all parties. I’ve been saying for some time now that Shankland has really grown on me as an all round striker. And it feels to me as if this is the right time for him to make the big move.
I’m sure Clement has plenty of irons in the fire in terms of other targets. He’ll be looking at centre halves, right backs and midfield players and there will be lots of options to consider. But proven goalscorers are harder to find. And Shankland is right there, in front of his nose. I have to be respectful here because he’s still a Hearts player and they have every right to look after their own best interests.
They deserve credit for helping him to turn into the player he has become over the last couple of years. Hats off to Lawrence too because he’s worked hard to improve his game to the point that he’s become a Scotland international. But if a fee can be agreed that Hearts are happy to accept then it’s a no brainer as far as I’m concerned. In fact, Rangers would be crazy not to try to make it happen.
If the supporters are feeling a bit frustrated and restless then the sight of Shankland holding that scarf above his head might help to ease some of their anxieties because they know exactly what he will bring to the team. Goals – and plenty of them.
Ferguson has been hanging around Ibrox more often that usual over the last year, joining the club in La Manga in January to entertain and amuse fat-cats that have little connection with the current diverse squad of serial losers.
With Alex Rae currently filling the job of being ‘A Real Rainjurz Man’ on the coaching staff there is no official role for Ferguson to take up, since mutually consenting on Alloa in February 2022 Ferguson has been acting as a cheerleader for all things Ibrox related on Go Radio and the Daily Record.
Next Saturday Shankland will get a close up view of his future team-mates when Hearts start the SPFL campaign with a visit from the Ibrox Tribute Act.
I had good chat with Philippe Clement about direction Rangers is moving in but I’m not going to lie | Barry Fergusonhttps://t.co/PTfOu73urF pic.twitter.com/NKubbMcbyp
— Daily Record Sport (@Record_Sport) July 27, 2024
We should have tried to sign shankland and Miovski both would have done a job in ensuring we win the league this year and as for shankland he’d be a good back up striker or even play with 2 up front but the main reason we should sign him is to stop sevco getting him,if he does go to sevco he will be a thorn in our side ,make no mistake about that,this guy can definitely score at SPFL level and he will.
Excellent point Jim and my sentiments entirely and what I’ve been saying for a good while now…
Shankland is a goal machine – if we don’t get that goal machine then it’s likely that Sevco will get that goal machine to our detriment for sure…
Miovski is also a decent age and proven here in Scotland as well…
Ferguson for once is talking sense from the point of view of The 11 years and 363 days old club that he supports as of today…
Never let em’ forget their age !
He’s not good enough for celtic and doesn’t fit the style/profile. How Jackson can think this is of benefit to hearts is deplorable. “Good for all parties”? Not unless hearts get 3millio… He and his paper are sad, hence they are going to the wall.
When they sell him and finish 3rd or 4th
‘ WE NEED A STRONGER CHALLENGE FROM EDINBURGH FOR THE GOOD OF THE SCOTTISH GAME ’
That’ll be the kind of headlines in the newspapers columns from every gimp who’s been relentlessly tapping up Shankland on behalf of the huns
Sevco sign Wankland and that takes the threat away for anyone challenging sevco for second place that’s all that is.
Hearts letting him go will only make their team weak and sevco stronger hence the point above.
Even if Lawwell signs Idah we are back to square one and signing Shankland would be a whole new adventure.
I may be wrong, but Joe MacBride, Willie Wallace and, yes in the same sentence, Ally McCoist weren’t the quickest but they knew were the goals where and forgive me, isn’t that a big part of the game.
Celtic have been crying out for a poacher even to pick up the pieces from Idah’s power play if we eventually sign him.
The look on the face of Baz ,talking to big Pip in the Record looks as if he’s been told …no ,no ,no Barree …it is all bollox from meester Bennett ! The cost of the stadium rebuild will be more like £40 million sovveez … Are you okay for a donation ? Erm ,it’s all in the Mrs ‘ name , sorry Pip ,old squeak ….
Wee Barry still has that half-pint sized gaunt glare, as his thoughts wander off, to conjuring up great ideas for his old pals even though the Club he played for died and he refuses to admit it!
“…good for all parties.” How is a transfer out good for Hearts ? Or Shankland, for that matter ?
The wee Fud suddenly remembered he had to be respectful … as Shankland is still a Hearts player…Typical Sevco tactic…Nae wonder no one likes them.
BTW…In the early 60’s the former Rangers offered Raith Rovers £17500 for Jim Baxter…Raith wanted £30000…Old Rangers then contacted Raith’s Bank Manager, who knowing Rovers had a sizeable overdraft, instructed Raith to take the money being offered…That’s how they operate.
Well, we seemed to have signed McCarthy (remember him?) on a whim,
and still paying him c.£14K for not playing for us!
A no brainer: buy Shankland for not much and sit back and watch sevco implode
even more – if that is possible.
Lawwell and the Board would get some brownie points from the support,
and we would have a proven SPL goal scorer maybe as an impact sub?
Plenty of times last season we could have done with a Shankland on the bench
to come on late to create something?
Even if Shankland is a sevco supporter, money talks. 🙂
Add Siegrist wages to McCarthys and you have two players possibly costing us in excess of 30K a week…and they practically never kicked a ball…Good business that…My arse…Feckin’ joke.
Dalglish, McGrain, Provan, McLeod et all were supposedly ‘Rangers’ (as they officially were then) fans and didn’t do too shabbily for us Hoops supporters Bob (original)…
I’m like yourself in that I’d like to see Shankland join that merry band of fellas that follow followed (but didn’t on a field of play) !
No way Celtic will sign him. He is no Paddy!
He downs tools and sevco steal the League.
Think about it!