Former Celtic midfielder Scott Allan believes that Rangers’ failure to sign Lawrence Shankland in January could cost the club the Scottish Premiership title.
The Gers were strongly linked with a winter move for Lawrence Shankland with a new number 9 strongly tipped to join the club in the January window.
But when Philippe Clement’s first transfer window passed by without the signing of an out-and-out striker, it raised a few eyebrows inside and outside of Ibrox.
Whilst Hearts’ transfer demands all but ruled out a Rangers move for Lawrence Shankland, Scott Allan reckons it’s a decision the club could live to regret.
Scott Allan on Lawrence Shankland
Speaking to the BBC’s Scottish Football Podcast, Scott Allan was discussing the impact Lawrence Shankland might’ve had on Rangers’ weekend defeat to Motherwell.
The Ibrox forward line has come in for substantial criticism for blowing a host of chances in the 2-1 defeat only for Shankland to upstage them by finding the net twice, although one was disallowed, in Hearts’ 2-0 victory over Celtic.
Claiming that those finishes prove Lawrence Shankland can be a Rangers “difference” maker, Scott Allan reckons it’s a situation the Ibrox club could lift to regret.
“Rangers did pass the ball well at times and created chances,” said Scott Allan.
“But I think, this debate that should Rangers have spent the money on a certain someone in January, would he have converted these chances? I believe so.”
When asked if he was referring to Lawrence Shankland, Scott Allan said: “I think he would be the difference in a lot of these games that are coming up for Rangers.
“I think (looking at Hearts v Celtic) he gets two chances, first time finishes, and they’re put away properly. There’s no mistake with them.
“He’s not needing four, five, six chances, he gets a sniff and it’s in the back of the net. I think that could be a potential problem coming up with the Thursday night games as well and I think you seen that (v Motherwell).”
Rangers to rue January transfer failure?
Scott Allan knows all too well about moves to Rangers which never materialised having been prevented from joining the Gers back in 2015.
Hibs infamously halted a Rangers move for the midfielder due to the fact they were competing with the Ibrox side in the Scottish Championship.
Then sanctioning a move to Celtic Park – despite Scott Allan being a very big bluenose – given how his Parkhead career panned out we’re sure it’s a situation the Larne midfielder has lived to regret.
But when it comes to Lawrence Shankland, there is still plenty of time for the Hearts hitman to achieve his Rangers dream with the striker’s Hearts heroics v Celtic piquing the interest of fans.
That said, with the likes of Cyriel Dessers under increasing fire at Rangers, we wonder if Scott Allan might just be proved right in the weeks ahead.
