Should Rangers find themselves pursuing a new striker in 2025, Philippe Clement and Nils Koppen will have to contend with the Hamza Igamane problem.
With the machine-gun Moroccan nailing down his place in the starting XI – Hamza Igamane scored his first Rangers hat-trick against Hibernian while reaching seven goals in just nine Scottish Premiership starts – any centre-forward the Glasgow giants target from here on in may have understandable reservations about where they would fit in.
Take Lawrence Shankland, for instance.
Would Shankland risk swapping Hearts for Rangers – with his Scotland place on the line – in the knowledge that he would likely play a supporting role behind Ibrox’s new posterboy?
A striker who, at the age of 22, could lead the line on the blue side of the city for the foreseable future, presuming no Premier League club gets their grubby mitts on him.
Lawrence Shankland to Rangers transfer debated as Hamza Igamane flies
That is the question Tony Watt asks, with the St Johnstone-owned Motherwell loanee mulling over the idea of Shankland sealing a transfer which has long been discussed both in the media and on the terraces, if not quite so vociferously in the Gers boardroom.
With his 30th birthday approaching, and his contract expiring, Shankland is probably in last-chance saloon territory if he is to join a club of Rangers’ stature.
But, should they come calling, he would also have to weigh up the risks of a benchwarming role during what could be his final few seasons at the peak of his powers.
“I don’t think he would get a game over Igamane but I don’t think many people would get a game over Igamane!,” Watt says. “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.”
Hearts star Shankland can score 20 goals a season for Rangers
For Watt, there is no doubting Shankland’s quality.
The former Dundee United ace may be in the midst of a miserable campaign at Tynecastle but his CV speaks for itself. Shankland claimed Scotland’s Golden Boot in 2023/24 after plundering 31 goals across all competitions.
And while the goals have dried up of late – three in 26 this term – it is not hard to imagine Shankland rediscovering his golden touch alongside the silver service of Nedim Bajrami, James Tavernier and, should he stay at Ibrox, Vaclav Cerny.
“I think he’s good enough [to play for Rangers],” Watt adds. “I think he will score you 20 goals a season. He has shown that, if you get him in the box, he will l 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.”
Andy Halliday agrees.
Speculation has emerged regarding Cyriel Dessers’ future of late. After slipping behind Igamane and also Danilo in the pecking order, Rangers’ number nine has been linked with a move to France via St Etienne.
Halliday, the former Gers midfielder, sees Shankland as an intelligent replacement both from a sporting and a financial perspective.
“For me, if you are going to sell Dessers and get a fee for him, [it makes sense to] get Shankland in on a free transfer,” Halliday says.
