Ex-Celtic striker Frank McAvennie has warned his former club to “be aware” of a potential transfer development happening at Rangers this summer.
Rangers eyeing summer signings
The Gers may be focusing on winning the Scottish Premiership title this season, but work will also be going on behind the scenes to complete some important summer transfer business.
Abdallah Sima has been an excellent loan signing from Brighton in 2023/24 to date, even though injuries have disrupted his campaign, with ten league goals coming his way to date. The Seagulls are happy to offload him at the end of the season, and it could be that Rangers strike a permanent deal for him.
Fabio Silva finds himself in a similar position, too, admittedly not impressing as much as Sima this season, but potentially leaving Wolves for good this summer, at which point the Gers could look to retain his services albeit for a larger fee.
Hearts striker Lawrence Shankland is seen as another top option to bolster Philippe Clement’s attack, possibly even standing out as a superior player to both Sima and Silva. He leads the Scottish scoring charts so far in 2023/24, finding the net 20 times in the league.
McAvennie shares Shankland warning to Celtic
Speaking to Football Insider, McAvennie admitted that Shankland joining Rangers could be a great piece of business, and one that he could see happening.
“I don’t understand why the Shankland rumours are all over the place if there’s nothing in it. I think he would do well at Rangers. He hasn’t got the pace for England. Unfortunately for him, the Premier League is all about pace. But Shankland is a very intelligent player, he’s great with his feet. Has he got the pace to play in England? No.
“He’ll score goals in Scotland. I think it’ll be an interesting one if he goes to Ibrox – it’s a real step in the right direction and something Celtic will have to be aware of.”
Regardless of what Rangers are planning with Sima and Silva this summer – Champions League qualification may need to achieved in order for them to afford at least one of them – Shankland should be considered a brilliant choice to come in and make Rangers’ attacking even more fearsome.
| Top scorers in the Scottish Premiership this season | Total |
| Lawrence Shankland | 20 |
| James Tavernier | 15 |
| Bojan Miovski | 14 |
| Cyriel Dessers | 13 |
| Matt O’Riley | 12 |
| Theo Bair | 12 |
| Kyogo Furuhashi | 10 |
| Simon Murray | 10 |
| Abdallah Sima | 10 |
The 28-year-old is now an experienced player who knows the Scottish Premiership inside out, and his performances this season suggest that he is a player who is coming right into his prime.
From a Celtic perspective, seeing the Gers snap up Shankland would be a big concern, at a time when Clement’s men have not only narrowed the gap hugely on their rivals, but are also threatening to pip them to title glory.
The Hoops should also be looking to strike a deal for the Scot, although the fact that the Hearts star is a boyhood Rangers supporter could quickly put paid to that.
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