New Glasgow Rangers centre-forward Lawrence Shankland whet the appetite of Ibrox supporters with a brace in Scotland’s win over Curaçao on Saturday.
The 30-year-old marksman found the back of the net twice in the 4-1 win for Steve Clarke’s side, in what was his first competitive game since being confirmed as a Gers signing.
Shankland is hoping to make a success of his big move to his boyhood club off the back of failing to win the Scottish Premiership title with Hearts, losing to Celtic on the final day.
The Scottish marksman tried his best to win it for the Jam Tarts, though, as he plundered 16 goals in the division and scored the opener against the Hoops earlier this month.
His move to Ibrox has thrown the future of some of Danny Rohl‘s current centre-forward options up in the air, as the experienced number nine could come in as a regular starter.
Rangers striker tipped to leave after Lawrence Shankland’s arrival
Speaking to Football Insider, former Premier League scout Mick Brown has suggested that Youssef Chermiti could be on his way out of the club.
He said: “It’s clear that Shankland is coming in as the first choice, so that pushes everybody else down the pecking order, and somebody like Chermiti could now be forced out.
“He’s been very hit and miss since moving to Rangers and there’s been a lot of frustration around him, so that could tempt them to let him move on.
Chermiti, who scored a hat-trick against Falkirk on the final day of the season, was linked with a move to Portuguese giants Porto last month, which suggests that there is interest there if the Gers want to cash in on him.
The former Everton marksman should still want to be the main man, given his 15 Premiership goals this season, and that is why the signing of Shankland could lead to him pursuing a move elsewhere this summer.
Chermiti’s exit would still leave the Gers in need of another addition to their attack, though, and they have previously held talks with a star who could be like Alfredo Morelos in his prime for Rohl.
Rangers could sign their next Alfredo Morelos for £4m
It was reportedly in January that the Gers opened preliminary talks over a deal for Motherwell attacker Tawanda Maswanhise, and it was recently claimed that the Light Blues are preparing to make an offer for his services.
The Scottish giants will have to move quickly, though, because Belgian side Anderlecht have entered talks with Motherwell in an attempt to snap the Zimbabwe international up.
Maswanhise, who is reportedly available for a fee of £4m, would be the perfect replacement for Chermiti because he is a versatile player who could get game time through the middle as a centre-forward or out wide on the right flank.
| Top scorers in 25/26 Premiership | |
|---|---|
| Player | Goals |
| Tawanda Maswanhise | 17 |
| Benjamin Nygren | 16 |
| Lawrence Shankland | 16 |
| Youssef Chermiti | 15 |
| Daizen Maeda | 14 |
The 23-year-old’s versatility means that Shankland’s presence would not leave him sat on the bench week-in-week-out, because he could start on the wing if Rohl wants to go with a one-striker system.
As a centre-forward, though, the Scottish Premiership’s top goalscorer has the attributes to be like Morelos in his prime at Ibrox, due to his physicality and goalscoring prowess.
The Colombian star’s best season in Glasgow was the 2018/19 campaign, when he racked up 30 goals in 48 appearances in all competitions, including 18 goals in the Premiership.
Maswanhise scored 22 goals in 44 matches in all competitions this season for Motherwell, with a haul of 17 goals to claim the Golden Boot in the Premiership, one league goal shy of Morelos’ tally in 2018/19.
The ‘Well star also ranked in the top 17% of forwards for duels won (130), the top 9% for fouls won (58), and the top 3% for fouls committed (55) in the league this season.
Maswanhise has shown that he has physicality and aggression in the Scottish top-flight, using his body well to compete with physical defenders, and Morelos used physicality and aggression expertly when he was at his best.
Overall, the £4m-rated talent looks like he could be the perfect signing for the Light Blues if they decide to cash in on Chermiti because of Shankland’s arrival at Ibrox.
He has the versatility to still get game time in spite of Shankland, is a proven Premiership performer, and has the attributes to be like Morelos when he was at his best, which is why the club must rival Anderlecht to his signature.
Better than Neil & Watt: Rangers showing big interest in signing “incredible” CM
Rangers are reportedly in the race to sign a star who is even better than Dan Neil and Elliot Watt.
