Is there a fan base more obsessed with signing fans of the club or former players more than Rangers fans, Lawrence Shankland being the latest and long-standing objective of their desires?
The Hearts striker has returned to prominence with two goals against us and a late leveller for Scotland showing, again, that he can play at a high level.
There is no doubt that Rangers squad would be in better shape with Lawrence Shankland, however, the cost and the requirement simply isn’t there.
Should Rangers have signed Lawrence Shankland?
His form over the last two seasons has seen many Rangers fans whisper “I told you so” when claiming that Shankland should have been signed when he left Ayr United or Dundee United.
This argument is massively flawed though.
Ask yourself two questions if you are one of these fans:
- Would Rangers have got the Lawrence Shankland we see now five years ago?
- Would he have played ahead of Alfredo Morelos, Jermain Defoe and a fit Kemar Roofe?
If you answered yes to either of these points then there’s nothing I can do to persuade you otherwise but, deep down, we all know the truth.
What is a legitimate argument is that Rangers should have signed Lawrence Shankland to increase the number of home-grown options and to be part of a forward department, not to be first choice.
Which raises another question.
Despite being a self-confessed blue nose, would he have signed to be back up?
Would Rangers be better off with Lawrence Shankland?
Would he have been a better option than Cyriel Dessers?
They are the same height, same age and Rangers would have had to pay a similar fee – circa £4m – for Lawrence Shankland.
Taking league statistics, Dessers has four goals in 11 games, Shankland has five in 12 and he takes Hearts penalties, so just three from open play.
Which brings me back to my point.
Good player? Yes.
Better than what we have? No.
This is the paradox with Rangers continued links to Lawrence Shankland.
I don’t think any Rangers fan would want him to be our first choice striker but would they be happy paying a lot of money for him to sit on the bench?
If Rangers had signed Danilo first, that’s when Lawrence Shankland should have been considered instead of Cyriel Dessers.
Zero risk, would improve our home-grown quota and we’d be getting the finished article in a player that knows the league.
Would a director of football had made that call?
We’ll never know.
