HEARTS chief Joe Savage reckons Rangers ‘couldn’t afford’ Lawrence Shankland as he issued a major warning to any potential transfer suitors.
Shankland has been in scintillating form this season, and became the first Jambos ace since John Robertson 31 years ago to to smash through the 20-goal mark for the campaign.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, that sort of form in front of goal has seen the Scotland international linked with a potential move away.
And just yesterday, Rangers legend Brian Laudrup suggested that his old club should be looking at signing Shankland.
He wrote in his Daily Mail column: “He followed up on Monday by saying there was a specific target he thought would be available in the summer – and confirmed it was someone operating outside of Scotland.
“Clearly, then, it isn’t Shankland, who’s foremost in his signing thoughts. But I’m interested in the idea of how the 27-year-old might handle a step into the Old Firm environment if the opportunity arose in the future.
“It’s all hypothetical, of course. But I see a lot to like about Shankland and evidence he could go on even further in his career.”
The January transfer window has of course now closed and Shankland is very much a Hearts player.
The club’s stand-in skipper in the absence of Craig Gordon, the hitman is also under contract at Tynecastle until 2025.
Last night, Hearts sporting director Joe Savage appeared on BBC Sportsound and delivered a stern hands-off warning to any club who might be thinking about making a move for Shankland.
When asked about Laudrup’s suggestion of Rangers trying to sign him, Savage said: “They wouldn’t be able to afford him! I can tell you that right now. Not a chance.
“No price, he’s not for sale. Shanks is not going anywhere.
“Shanks is going to get 30-odd goals for us this season and become an absolute Hearts legend, that’s the plan!”
Savage insisted that despite Shankland’s form, he wasn’t aware of any concrete interest during the just-closed transfer window.
He added: “”Not that we heard, to be brutally honest.
“No one has come to us with any sort of offer or interest to let us know that they would want to take him.”
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