Glasgow Rangers and new technical director Nils Koppen are now leading the race to sign a £3 million “ruthless” player in January, according to a new report.
The Scottish giants returned to action on Saturday afternoon, but it wasn’t a game to remember fondly for supporters as they were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Dundee United.
Related
3 passes, 0 duels won: Clement must now ditch Rangers’ 8-touch liability
Rangers dropped more Premiership points on Saturday afternoon
Pressure mounts on Philippe Clement at Rangers
The draw against Dundee United means it is just two wins from their last five games in all competitions for the Gers. That draw, plus Celtic’s 4-1 smashing of Hearts, now means that Philippe Clement’s side are 11 points adrift of the Hoops after 12 games and eight behind second-place Aberdeen.
That result is going to see Clement, who is already under pressure to deliver, under even more pressure, as Rangers look to end Celtic’s dominance in the league. Clement believes now is the time the club needs to raise their levels and states losing 13 points already “is not acceptable.”
Clement said: “We don’t need to speak about titles now; we need to speak about raising our level because we don’t have control over how many points other teams take. It’s totally not acceptable to lose that many points [13 so far this season]. We all know, I know, the players know, so there’s hard work to be done to make that better the next couple of months.
“Frustration about losing points in a game where you have much more chances than the opponent, much more possession also. But also frustration about our first half and the performance there. That was not good enough, with not enough quality in the final third, not enough initiative there, and not enough availability also for some players.
“I’m much more pleased about the second half because in the second half, we see the football that I want to see and that we produced in the past, that we can do, but we need to get that kind of performance 90 minutes long, and then you win all these kind of games – what we did in the past.”
Rangers and Koppen now leading race to sign £3m player in January
Ahead of the January transfer window opening, Rangers and Koppen are leading the race to sign Lawrence Shankland from Hearts, according to Football Insider. The 29-year-old has been with the Jambos since July 2022, and he has been a key player for the side, scoring 20 or more goals twice in two recent campaigns.
The Scotsman, who has been described as “ruthless” by Chris Sutton, hasn’t had quite the same luck in front of goal so far this season, as he’s just got one goal to his name in 14 league appearances and has so far yet to score a goal in the Europa Conference League.
This report states that Rangers are now in pole position to sign Shankland in January, as Hearts could look to cash in on the striker, as he will leave the club for nothing come the end of the season if a new contract isn’t agreed. Hearts have been keen to keep Shankland for the long-term, but a new deal doesn’t look to be any closer to being agreed.
Rangers are leading the race for his signature at the end of the season, but Hearts could see January as an opportunity to get some money for the forward, who Rangers wanted to sign for £3 million during the summer transfer window. A move in January is seen as a “win-win” for both, as Rangers bolster their attacking options and Hearts get money for a key individual. However, if a deal cannot be agreed upon, Rangers are expected to still be there come the summer, when he can be signed for a free transfer.
