The Gers are still seeking attacking reinforcements.
Rangers has prioritized attacking additions during the January transfer window in an effort to narrow the gap with the leaders of the Scottish Premiership. The Gers have continued to want Hearts forward Lawrence Shankland, even after Philippe Clement accepted Fabio Silva on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers. And now they’ve given an update on their efforts to move forward.
Lawrence Shankland of the Rangers has transferred.
This month, Shankland has drawn a lot of interest. According to sources, Rangers, Burnley, Crystal Palace, Sheffield United, Everton, and Celtic are all considering signing the Hearts skipper. Links with Shankland remained prominent even as Rangers’ focus was purportedly shifted to Michy Batshuayi, which led to the most recent update from Sky Sports writer Mark Benstead.
The Germans are still looking for more attackers to join them.
Benstead said on Wednesday, as reported by Ibrox News, that the Rangers could easily reach an agreement to sign Shankland; however, the team may choose to release some players from their contract before doing so.
“Lawrence Shankland of the Hearts is a player that the Rangers are still interested in signing.
“If that were to occur, I’m informed that the numbers involved wouldn’t be insurmountable and that it could be completed easily. However, they might need to free up some cash first and come to an agreement that he is the best player to pursue.
“While there is a lot of enthusiasm among Rangers, there are also skeptics who believe they should pursue someone else. They also can’t put off making an acquisition for Hearts too long because they will need to bring in a successor.
Nevertheless, as Rangers prepare to make what may turn out to be a crucial transfer move in the upcoming weeks, the Scottish Premiership standout is still someone to watch.
Shankland is “strong” enough to end Rangers’ striker problems.
Without a doubt, the Rangers have improved significantly since Clement joined the team, but it can be said that they still lack a standout player to lead the line. Sam Lammers, who joined in the summer, did not live up to expectations and is currently on loan at FC Utrecht. With only two goals to his credit, Kemper Roofe’s statistics, however, highlight how much he has battled.Despite Cyriel Dessers’ remarkable nine goals across all competitions, Shankland is the clear winner.
Shankland’s goals tally currently sits at 18 in all competitions, which is more than Roofe and Dessers have managed combined. It’s no surprise that those goals have come with plenty of praise too, including from St Johnstone boss Craig Levein.
“I really like Shankland, you know. You look at him and say he’s not particularly quick, and at international level that’s quite an important part to be athletic.
“But he’s a goalscorer isn’t he. You put that ball in the penalty box, he uses his body so well and he’s strong. You put it in there, you’ve always got a chance of scoring a goal.”
Clement could ditch Lundstram in Rangers move for “superb” 5ft 11 gem
Rangers are keen on bolstering their midfield options this month.
In the upcoming weeks, Glasgow Rangers manager Philippe Clement will be aiming to bolster his roster beyond the one-time signing of Fabio Silva, particularly with three trophies up for grabs in the second half of the season.
Clement has the chance to add the Scottish Cup and a Premiership crown to the League Cup that already resides in the Ibrox trophy case. The Europa League also offers the possibility for additional success.
The Gers made it to the championship game in 2022, and anything is possible if Clement can get his team to perform well in the upcoming months.
He will need to make a couple more signings, however, in order to add some depth to his first-team squad, which was decimated by an injury crisis prior to Christmas.
While Clement is rather thin with regard to his attacking options, adding another midfielder to the squad could be a shrewd move this month and the club have been linked with a South American gem recently…
Rangers transfer news – Steven Alzate
According to Belgian outlet DH Les Sports, at the start of January, the Light Blues were monitoring Colombian midfielder Steven Alzate ahead of making a potential move for the player this month.
Alzate’s contract at Brighton and Hove Albion expires at the end of the current season, and he is currently out on loan at Belgian side Standard Liege.
A recent update on his situation has seen several clubs emerge as contenders to sign the 25-year-old during the transfer window.
Club Brugge are one of the teams showing interest in the player, while there is also a Premier League side keeping tabs on Alzate, and it is evident that Clement faces some competition to lure him to Scotland this month.
The 49-year-old won’t just be looking to strengthen his team for the second half of the season, but also for the foreseeable future, especially due to several of his senior players entering the final months of their current deals.
Indeed, Ryan Jack, John Lundstram, Kemar Roofe and Borna Barisic, Leon Balogun and Jon McLaughlin could all depart in the summer for nothing.
It remains to be seen who will be kept, as several of these players have barely featured this term and Clement could free up a big chunk of the wage bill by allowing them to leave.
Lundstram is perhaps the player who has the best case for staying, mainly with his recent form under the Belgian, yet might he be moved on for someone younger? Especially if he demands a high wage.
John Lundstram has shone under Clement
The former Sheffield United midfielder has endured a rather Jekyll and Hyde stint at Rangers since joining in the summer of 2021 on a free transfer.
His first few months were marred with inconsistency, as he started just four times for the club prior to the first international break of the season, and it culminated with him being sent off against Alashkert in the Europa League qualifying round.
After settling into a position in the middle of the midfield, the £22k-per-week monster started to exhibit his class, particularly in Europe.
Lundstram was a key player in the Light Blues’ run to the Europa League final. The Englishman scored twice, once against Borussia Dortmund and once against RB Leipzig in the semifinals.
Because of this, Ally McCoist referred to him as a “cult hero” before the competition final, even though they were not the winners. Although 2022–2023 was a disappointing season without a trophy, Lundstram has spent the last few months reflecting about his best performance under Clement.
In the league this season, Lundstram has an average pass success rate of 89% every game, along with recovering 6.9 balls per game and averaging 1.1 critical passes each match as he displays his class. The 29-year-old started 17 of the first 18 games that Clement took over.
Clement will be looking to bring the average age of his squad down and Lundstram will turn 30 next month, which should deter the manager from offering him a long-term deal.
Could Alzate come in and replace the former Blades’ midfielder this month? Time will tell.
Steven Alzate’s season in numbers
The Colombian international does have Premier League experience, featuring in the English top flight 43 times during his career.
He fell out of favour at Brighton during the last couple of years and his loan spell at Standard Liege has enabled him to return to the form which saw him be a key member of the Brighton team between 2019 and 2021.
![[FBCharts] Steven Alzate](https://static0.footballfancastimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/fbcharts-steven-alzate.png?q=50&fit=crop&dpr=1.5)
Despite playing just 11 league matches this term, the 25-year-old has scored once and grabbed two assists while he has shone among his teammates across a range of metrics.
Alzate currently ranks third in the squad for big chances created (two) in the Belgian Pro League this term, along with ranking second for accurate passes per game (43.7) and first for tackles per game (2.4), indicating that he has been impressive in both an attacking and defensive sense.
The 5 foot 11 dynamo was hailed by journalist Bunting during his spell at Brighton, who said: “Steven Alzate superb again for Brighton, he is so creative, brings so much energy into the game.”
His form this season looks as though he is returning to this creative midfielder who not only can push forward and create chances when possible but can dictate the play from deep and provide a reliable defensive option in the middle of the pitch.
Lundstram, in all likelihood, will receive an extension to his contract, but it should only be a one-year deal as Clement looks to add some fresh blood to this area of the senior side.
| Domestic statistics this season | Steven Alzate | John Lundstram |
|---|---|---|
| Accurate passes per game | 43.7 | 61.8 |
| Big chances created | 2 | 2 |
| Key passes per game | 0.6 | 1.1 |
| Tackles per game | 2.4 | 1.7 |
| Total duels won per game | 5 | 3.8 |
Alzate is four years younger than the Englishman and if given regular game time by Clement, he could soon take his place in the starting XI.
It is unclear whether Rangers will make an official approach this month, or simply secure his services on a pre-contract, but a move for the South American is imperative if the former Club Brugge manager wishes to add some steel to his midfield.
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