The journalist said on the Rangers Review Morning Briefing on 19 December that given the 28-year-old’s age it wouldn’t make sense to do a deal for more than about £2m, but it is unlikely that the Jambos would want to lose their star man for that sort of money.
Anything higher and Jack claims the Light Blues simply “won’t be at that particular negotiating table” despite needing goalscoring help in January.
Jack said (4m 15s): “There’s also a sense that Rangers have missed the boat on him. He’s been in the market a couple of times over the last few seasons. It’s one of these could-have should-have ones if Rangers didn’t move for him at the right time…
“It all comes down to Hearts’ demands here. If Hearts are going to somehow sell for £2m, great, Rangers then go and do it.
“I just don’t see it happening unfortunately. If you’re Hearts why would you sell such a prized asset, such a key player, for £2m? If it gets anywhere near £5m then Rangers won’t be at that particular negotiating table.
“If Hearts get £5m for Lawrence Shankland then fair play to them, I wish him and them all the very best, but he will not be a Rangers player for £5m, that’s just not happening.”
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Clearly, for a low fee it is something Rangers should snap Hearts hand off for, but given what is at stake at this stage of the season it might be hasty to write off a more expensive deal too.
It is certainly true that the player trading model is something the club has to keep in mind for the longer-term health of their finances, but having already secured one third of a potential treble this season while the door opened wider for an SPFL title race it doesn’t seem over the top to suggest Shankland could be the key to that.
Perhaps £5m would be stretching it either way, but on paper his goals instantly make a resurgent Rangers side a different prospect domestically.
Had somewhere in the region of £13m not already been spent on Danilo, 24, Cyriel Dessers, 29, and Sam Lammers, 26, in the summer, with little prospect of resale value on the latter two, then there would be a strong argument to spend big on Shankland to ensure Philippe Clement can build on the League Cup victory and the opportunity afforded by Celtic’s latest slip-up.
Whether the prospect of further silverware this season, and even the potential for a hugely successful one that looked a million miles off just a matter of weeks ago, would see a big-money Shankland deal pay for itself is a balance the hierarchy have to strike.
Hearts surely aren’t going to gift-wrap their captain and send him off to Ibrox, and yet if it isn’t the Scotland international in January then Rangers are still likely going to need to spend on someone, and the summer haul has proven that taking a risk on unproven options can backfire badly.
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