‘Over to you, Nils Koppen’ – Journalist: Rangers should seal Shankland transfer if exit happens

Since the Scottish Premiership title is out of the Gers’ grasp, the Herald journalist thinks it would make sense for them to remove the Nigerian striker from their payroll before February 3. The 29-year-old Hearts striker has been mentioned as a potential cheap option, but it appears that Nils Koppen will have the last say over Dessers’ replacement. “For all Dessers’ faults, he does know where the net is, even if it often takes him a few attempts to find it,” McGarry wrote in the print edition of The Herald [21 January, pg 5]. However, the league has vanished.

“It would make sense for Rangers to bring in a talented young forward on lower pay with room to grow if they can get the 30-year-old off the wage bill in January.”Perhaps someone like Lawrence Shankland, who would be paid less, might serve in the same capacity as a temporary backup. Nils Koppen, it’s your turn. How will the supporters remember Dessers if he does depart, in addition to how the team will replace him?

At Rangers, Lawrence Shankland is the ideal successor for Cyriel Dessers.

Given his extensive knowledge of Scottish football, Shankland would be of interest to the Light Blues if and when they decide to bolster their attack once more. Over the years, the 29-year-old center-forward has played for teams like Aberdeen, Dundee United, and Hearts. He is currently flourishing at Tynecastle. The Scotland international has made 26 appearances in all competitions this season, tallying three goals and dishing out five assists.

Rangers might employ Shankland as a backup number nine in the event that Dessers leaves, even if his numbers may not be the finest. Despite dropping in the rankings in recent months, the Nigerian attacker showed his value by scoring three goals to help the Light Blues defeat Fraserburgh 5-0 in the Scottish Cup. In Philippe Clement’s intentions, Hamza Igamane and Danilo appear to be ahead of the 30-year-old, although injuries to either player would cause problems for the Gers. At Ibrox, Koppen has clearly prioritized younger players, so it would be intriguing to see if Shankland will be considered by the Glaswegian team.

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