Clement might boost Cantwell in Rangers’ pursuit of a £3 million jewel.

Clement might boost Cantwell in Rangers’ pursuit of a £3 million jewel.

This month, Rangers may try to sign a Scottish striker.

Glasgow Rangers made a strong comeback from their busy holiday schedule, winning the League Cup

and making it to the Europa League last 16.

Although a derby loss to Celtic was not in the cards, the Gers still have plenty of time in the second half

of the season to close the gap on their Old Firm opponents and win the Premiership.

Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Fabio Silva was lured to the team by Philippe Clement on a season-

long loan, which could provide him with more firepower.

Given the abundance of names that have lately been connected to moves, this player most assuredly

won’t be the only one joining the Ibrox team this month.

Although Clement should prioritize adding a left-back and midfielder, he also has to acquire another

striker, and there may be a potential move for Lawrence Shankland.

Updates on Rangers’ pursuit of a forward

Football Insider reports that following the collapse of a deal to sign Michy Batshuayi, the Light Blues

have apparently returned their focus to signing Lawrence Shankland this month.

The Ibrox team is eager to expand their offensive options, so a move for the striker makes perfect sense.

The Hearts forward is interested in joining the team.

The Scot has been a target for the Gers for a number of months. Club icon Barry Ferguson even said that

Shankland would be a perfect fit for Clement.

“Let’s begin with Lawrence Shankland, who always draws my attention when I watch him play for the

Hearts.

“I’m surprised he hasn’t been picked up yet because this guy has improved so much over the last couple

of years, but watching him on Wednesday, I saw a ready-made Rangers center forward.”

The transfer cost, however, can be a major obstacle. As the player approaches the last 18 months of his

current deal, Hearts might expect to pay somewhere around £3 million for him.

The January transfer market will close in two and a half weeks, so Clement won’t have much time to move Shankland across the M8 to Glasgow if he wants to add a trophy or two this season.

Numbers from Lawrence Shankland’s season

The former Dundee United striker showed his finest side last season, finishing with 28 goals in 47

games, which prepared him well for 2023–2024. This was made possible by the Jambos.

The center striker has already scored 18 goals in 28 games this season, and he is presently three goals

ahead of James Tavernier and Abdallah Sima in the Premiership scoring lists, demonstrating his

credentials at home.

Additionally, the 28-year-old leads the Hearts team in shots on goal (1.4) and is ranked third in key

passes (1.3) and successful dribbles (0.9) per game, suggesting that he is more than just a goal-scoring

threat in the closing minutes of play.

This might be advantageous for Clement, particularly as Shankland can work well with teammates to

generate plenty of opportunities.

Given his playing style and recent performances, it appears that he could flourish when against Todd

Cantwell, who has been largely unimpressive in 2023 and 2024.

However, Shankland’s presence ahead of him might be able to unlock the Englishman and provide him

with more room to grow.

Numbers from Todd Cantwell’s season

In January 2023, the once-promising player from Norwich City made a splashy arrival as Michael Beale l

ooked to bolster his senior team.

Between January and May of last year, he experienced a renaissance at Ibrox, scoring six goals and

dishing out five assists in just twenty games, making it seem like Beale had made a wise acquisition.

Cantwell has only managed three goals and four assists in 25 games across all competitions this season,

and it took him until November to record his first goal of the year.

Playing behind Cyriel Dessers frequently hasn’t helped, as the Nigerian hasn’t been good since joining

the team in the summer.

Shankland, who is 25 years old, would be able to excel if he were to start as the only center forward. This

season, Cantwell has averaged 1.4 vital passes per game and created one huge opportunity in the

Premiership and this might aid the current Hearts striker.

The Gers dynamo has also been successful with 1.2 dribbles per game and frequently displays a strong

desire to get into dangerous areas, which might be advantageous should Shankland join the team.

Clement may decide to let go of one or two players in the upcoming weeks in order to free up part of the

pay budget and raise money for more signings, even though the reported £3m may be the only thing that

breaks the bank.

The Hearts player has a track record in Scottish football, and signing him may check off a number of

boxes that signing a player from abroad wouldn’t, especially given his local stature and potential

importance to Rangers in European competitions.

Rangers could trade Clement for a £5 million dynamo and get Jack in return.

This month, Rangers are interested in a midfielder from Croatia.

That’s not to suggest he’s flawless—far from it—but he has outstanding skill in the 18-yard box, and all

Clement needs is a reliable scorer in the penalty area.

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