Rangers-linked striker Lawrence Shankland is a curious case.
Many Gers fans and pundits thought it was a no-brainer to sign the Scotland international from Hearts as he rattled in goal after goal in his first two campaigns, breaking the 30 barrier last season.
This campaign could not have been any more different.
Shankland has found the net just three times this season and has struggled for form and confidence. A team that was so reliant on him for goals is struggling at the bottom of the table without them.
However, with the 29-year-old now injured, they’ve looked a better side without him and are unbeaten in the three games he has missed.
Shankland’s Hearts contract is up at the end of the season and he can be signed on a pre-contract now.
He dropped the biggest hint yet on his future by admitting he was likely to move on from Tynecastle.
Despite the drop in form, Shankland has still been talked up for Rangers and Ross McCormack claimed he was “better” than Celtic’s Kyogo.
Alan Hutton previously said the Hearts man was a ‘no-brainer‘.
With the transfer window now open, the subject of Shankland to Ibrox is back on the radar.
Should Rangers swoop for Shankland?
Tony Watt certainly thinks so, insisting Shankland would guarantee Rangers 20 goals a season.
And Andy Halliday agreed, explaining it would be a no-brainer to bring him in on a free while cashing in on Cyriel Dessers.
But Kris Boyd isn’t so sure.
He told the Warm-Up: “I don’t think anyone will come in for him in January. I imagine a few teams will ask the question in the summer but he’s injured and has had a poor season by his standards.
“Lawrence would be first to admit that. The team has struggled and the consequences of that is your main striker has struggled.
“He’ll hope to get back fit and score a few goals and I don’t think you can rule out him staying at Hearts.”
Shankland ‘good enough’ for Rangers
Watt had told Open Goal: “I don’t think he would get a game over Igamane but I don’t think many people would get a game over Igamane.
“It depends on him, if he would go there. I don’t think he would. Maybe he would, I don’t know.
“He is the main man at Hearts. Surely you can get a move where you are going to be the main man elsewhere.
“I think he’s good enough [to play for Rangers] I think he will score you 20 goals a season.
“He has shown that, if you get him in the box, he will score. Hearts relied on him last year and, when he wasn’t scoring, they struggled.
“I think he would be a good signing, but it depends on what his role is going to be.”
