Rangers transfer: 20-goal striker target makes UCL admission in hint at ‘tempting’ opportunities

Rangers-linked striker Lawrence Shankland mentioned winning the Champions League and other trophies he might not get chance at with Hearts could be “tempting.”

Shankland has been on fire for Hearts in the Scottish Championship this season. He’s scored 20 goals, beating the next best tally – Rangers’ James Tavernier’s 14 – by six goals.

The 28-year-old bagged 21 league goals last term, so it looks like he’s going to shatter his record this term.

Naturally, that somebody who doesn’t play for Rangers or Celtic is setting the league alight means links to the big boys are going to come.

Indeed, if Shankland can score 20 goals for a third-placed side who are 15 points off top spot, it’s not difficult to imagine how that tally could become a lot higher with better players around him.

There have been links to Rangers for a while, and TEAMtalk revealed during the January window that the Gers were hopeful they’d be able to land the striker before the window closed.

Sources also stated that Shankland himself was hopeful of making that move.

It obviously didn’t happen, but he’s now hinted at a desire to move up in the world so that he can get opportunities that he doesn’t have with Hearts.

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Shankland thinks ability to win trophies is ‘tempting’

Indeed, he stated a higher chance at winning silverware is something that could tempt him.

“It depends what you want to talk about. I’m not going to win the Champions League here. So it’s one of those ones, you need to be realistic about what the club can achieve and what you can achieve as a player,” Shankland told BBC Sport Scotland.

“Of course if the opportunity to maybe win things that you wouldn’t win, and play in places that you wouldn’t play at Hearts, come about then it would obviously be tempting.”

Hearts have not won silverware since the 2011/12 Scottish FA Cup, while Rangers have been victorious in the Scottish FA Cup, the Scottish League Cup and the Scottish Premiership since then.

And while it’s not regular, so the chances of winning it might be slim, they have appeared in the Champions League seven times since the turn of the century.

The Gers are also top of the SPL at the moment, and are in the last 16 of the Europa League – while it would not be quite the same, winning that European trophy would be an achievement not far behind that of winning the Champions League if they could.

Shankland doesn’t want goals to disrespect Hearts

While Shankland is open about the fact he knows he could achieve more away from Hearts, he does not want to be disrespect his side, who he’s clearly having a great time playing for.

“It’s a football career and I’m the same as every other player in that aspect. But as I’ve said I’d never be disrespectful to the situation that I’m in,” he said.

“I’m under contract at Hearts, I love it here, I’m loved by the fans and obviously that’s a huge help in things that I do week to week.”

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