Lawrence Shankland and transfer links to Rangers are about as inevitable as death and taxes every time a window opens up.
The Hearts striker is a boyhood bluenose and ever since his days smashing in goals for Ayr United, a move to Rangers has been mooted in the press.
With Rangers surely on the hunt for additional firepower in the coming transfer window, it was never going to be long before chatter was once again struck up around the Scottish Premiership’s top scorer.
About to enter the final year of his contract in Gorgie, Hearts manager Steven Naismith has provided a very interesting transfer update on Lawrence Shankland which certainly doesn’t rule out an exit.
Naismith: Hearts open to Shankland sale
Speaking about the future of Lawrence Shankland, Steven Naismith was pretty relaxed heading into Hearts’ Scottish Premiership clash with Celtic.
All eyes will be on the forward at Parkhead with Shankland regularly proving a thorn in Celtic’s side and potentially still having a huge role to play in the outcome of the title this season.
Rangers fans will be hoping that Shanks can down Brendan Rodgers’ team one more time and hand the Gers a much-needed boost in the club’s title tilt.
But as far as an end-of-season switch to Rangers and a Hearts exit goes, the Jambos are certainly open to a sale even if they’re planning for next season with the 28-year-old in mind.
“He’s got a year left,” said Naismith when asked if he expects Shankland to still be a Hearts player next season. “And that’s how we’ll focus on it.
“But as I’ve said throughout the season, every player at the club is here, at some point they might leave.
“They might get bought, their contract might get run down.
“We need to plan for further ahead and further ahead all the time. That’s the way we work.
“We’ll make decision that are best for the club with the squad in general. How can we improve it and how can we make it better?
“I said it at the start. We need to be a club that’s producing players, buying players, progressing them and selling them on. I think every club in Scotland is the same.
“But ultimately it needs to be right for Hearts and that’s exactly what we’ll do.
“If we think we can do something to keep a player here we will and if we think it’s the right time to move him on, we’ll move him on.”
Should Rangers plunge for ‘Player of the Year’?
So it certainly sounds like Hearts are open to doing a deal.
We also don’t expect Rangers to be held to the near £5m ransom of the January window should the Gers be genuinely interested.
And why wouldn’t they be?
Shankland has scored 28 goals in all competitions for Hearts this season and has routinely showed himself to be a reliable, big-game, big-moment player for the Tynecastle club.
Rangers have a distinct lack of those types in the final third and it’s part of the reason why Lawrence Shankland, and not Cyriel Dessers for example, is leading the running for Player of the Year.
Speaking about the nominations – Rangers pair James Tavernier and Jack Butland also in the hunt – Naismith has claimed ‘it’s not even close’ with regards who should pick up the gong.
In fact, the Hearts boss ‘expects’ Lawrence Shankland to sweep the awards come the end of the season.
“I’m not sure it’s close if I’m honest,” said Naismith. “I think he’s been the best player.
“I think he should win it, I expect him to win it, and I expect him to win the media awards as well.”
Lawrence Shankland has scored 28 goals (21 in the league) and laid on eight assists in 42 games for Hearts this season.
