There have been shouts for Rangers to sign Lawrence Shankland this summer, but that ship may have already passed.
The 2025-26 campaign ended in much disappointment for the Gers after they finished third in the Premiership behind Celtic and Hearts.
Danny Rohl‘s side only have themselves to blame, as they lost four of their five post-split fixtures, thus dropping themselves out of the title race.
Meanwhile, there has been a feeling among a section of the Rangers fanbase that the club’s fate would have been different if they had someone like Shankland leading the line.
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Rangers rejected Alex McLeish’s transfer recommendation
Kris Boyd is among those who have urged the Govan club to raid Hearts for Derek McInnes and Shankland this summer.
However, it is an idea that Alex McLeish floated by the Rangers hierarchy years ago.
Reflecting on the club’s recent disappointment, McLeish admitted surprise at why the Ibrox outfit never pursued a deal for Shankland.
The former Rangers manager also revealed that he had advised an investor at the club to snap the centre-forward up a “few years back”.
Although the Glaswegian club reasoned that they would rather sign players aged 26 or below, McLeish is of the view that the strategy has not worked out.
Speaking to The Herald, he said: “I can’t understand why they never went for Shankland. I told a pal of mine who is a big investor at the club that they should go for him a few years back.
“He told me, ‘They don’t want to sign players who are over 26’. They were bringing in young players with potential sell-on value from overseas, and I can understand the logic behind that, but some of the boys who have come in have just not been at the right level.”
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Over the last few years, Rangers have focused on signing young players from other European countries with a view to selling them for profit later.
However, it is safe to say that the strategy has not yielded the required results for the club. Neither have they contributed to major success, nor have they generated significant sums in transfer sales.
Nevertheless, it appears Rangers are changing their approach to transfers this summer, with Andrew Cavenagh admitting there will be a pro-Scottish bias this time.
There is also a desire to add leaders to the squad, particularly after Rohl was heard demanding such players from the Ibrox hierarchy in the Tynecastle tunnel after the defeat against Hearts last month.
Therefore, it would not be a surprise if Shankland is on the club’s transfer shortlist this summer.
