Kenny Miller expressed uncertainty regarding Rangers’ potential move for Hearts’ prolific striker Lawrence Shankland this summer. Miller emphasized that Shankland’s age might hinder any potential transfer to Ibrox.
Shankland, the captain of Hearts, has been in outstanding form this season, netting 28 goals in 42 matches across all competitions. Although heavily linked with a move to Rangers during the January transfer window, no formal bid was made to the Tynecastle club. With only 13 months left on his current contract, Hearts have offered Shankland a deal that would make him the highest-paid player in the club’s 150-year history.
The striker’s impressive record of 21 goals in 32 Premiership matches puts him ahead of Rangers’ current number nine Cyriel Dessers by eight goals, positioning him as a top contender for the golden boot for the second consecutive season. Despite acknowledging Shankland’s goal-scoring prowess, Miller questioned whether the 28-year-old fits Rangers’ profile, particularly due to his age. Speaking on Clyde 1 Superscoreboard, Miller stated, “They are 100 per cent aware of what he is doing, with the fact that he is a Rangers fan and there is a lot of hype surrounding him. I am just wondering with how Rangers went about their business in terms of recruitment in January, if he is fitting the profile in terms of his age and potential to resell.”
Miller continued, “But what he is going to bring is 25 league goals, that’s a fact. Sometimes you have got to balance it up. There has been a lot of talk this season that the lack of a player like that could cost Rangers in the title race. I still think he’d be a really good signing, but whether he is actually on the radar as a realistic target for Nils Koppen and Philippe Clement, I genuinely don’t know.”
Gordon Dalziel, another former Rangers player, echoed Miller’s sentiments on the show, emphasizing the importance of potential resale value to clubs. Dalziel said, “He is terrific. But I think the only thing that would put Rangers off is the (potential to) resell. That is so important to clubs. If you are going to go in there and pay Hearts a few quid for him and he bangs in the goals, there always comes a time where you would like to cash in and make a profit.”
Dalziel also mentioned the alternative, Bojan Miovski, who at 24 years old might offer a better option in terms of potential resale value. However, both Miller and Dalziel expressed their admiration for Shankland’s goal-scoring abilities, with Dalziel concluding, “I am a Shankland fan and he’d score goals for Rangers all day long.”