Finding that ‘Goldilocks’ centre-forward is no easy task for Rangers.
Despite Cyriel Dessers’ ongoing inconsistency and Danilo’s continued absence, Philippe Clement’s side have reached the final fortnight of the transfer window with only one striker among their eight summer signings.
And while Clement is happy with the way Hamza Igamane has adapted to life on Scottish soil, the Morocco youth star is still some time away from a first-team role in Rangers blue.
There have been links with Albion Rrahmani, Tommy Conway, Petar Ratkov and more.
Now, Lawrence Shankland is usually the first name on anyone’s lips when the striker issue is brought up. And understandably so, given that the Glasgow-born hitman claimed the Scottish Premiership Golden Boot last season with eight more goals to his name than Dessers managed.
But, as former Gers poacher Kenny Miller told Clyde SuperScoreboard earlier in the summer, Shankland’s age may count against him.
This is, after all, a Rangers side who tend to put a lot of importance in potential and re-sale value, even if the arrivals of Liam Kelly and Robin Propper prove this is not a policy written in stone.
Rangers officially out of Bojan Miovski contention
Still, Shankland turned 29 on August 10th.
If only there was a proven, prolific Premiership marksman a few years younger on the market? Well, maybe there was.
And we use the past tense ‘was’ because Bojan Miovski – linked with Rangers via the Scottish Sun and labelled a ‘quality’ finisher by Clement himself – is now officially a Girona player. He swaps Aberdeen for the Champions League-bound Catalans after a £6.8 million fee was agreed, per Sky Sports.
Was that fee the reason why Rangers did not step up their interest?
There certainly would not have been any concerns over Miovski’s goalscoring potential or his age profile – four years younger than Shankland at 25 – but the fee Girona paid is comfortably more than any of the sums Rangers have splashed out in recent months.
Still, former Aberdeen team-mate Joe Lewis cannot help but wonder if that sub-£7 million price-tag will soon look like a bargain.
“The thing about Bojan is he has a sell-on value. If he does well and scores goals in La Liga the next move could be £25 or £30 million,” Lewis tells the Daily Record. “He has all the attributes but he has to stay sharp and injury free.
“And that’s the one thing about Bojan. He’s always on the pitch. He was never injured at Aberdeen.”
Girona seal deal for former Aberdeen talisman
A reliable finisher unlike Dessers, consistently injury-free unlike Danilo and still far from his peak unlike maybe Shankland, Miovski may have been as close to that ‘Goldilocks’ centre-forward as Rangers were likely to get this summer in a difficult market.
“He is 25 and has his prime years ahead of him. If he continues to develop like he has at Aberdeen there’s no reason why he can’t do well over there,” Lewis adds, Miovski hoping to emulate the success of La Liga top scorer and now-Roma hitman Artem Dovbyk in Girona colours.
“Bojan has had two great seasons at Aberdeen and leaves as a legend. One of Aberdeen’s top players in recent years.
“He was just phenomenal (last season). Every part of his game was right up there in terms of being a top striker; his link-up play, good in the air and his movement was first class.”
