Rangers boss directly addresses fresh Lawrence Shankland transfer link as hunt for new signings continues
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Philippe Clement has swerved transfer talk of Rangers’ prolonged interest in Lawrence Shankland amid fresh rumours he could be about to plot a summer swoop for the Hearts striker.
The Ibrox side have been continuously linked with the 29-year-old Scotland international as they look to strengthen their attacking options heading into the new season and it’s thought Clement is an admirer of the prolific marksman.
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Hide AdHowever, the Belgian boss once again outlined he has no intentions of confirming nor denying speculation as to potential new recruits after being quizzed on reports about the recent interest in the Jambos skipper after the Light Blues rounded off their pre-season programme without a victory in five friendlies. Asked about Shankland specifically, the Rangers manager refused: “I don’t go into rumours and I will not speak about players of teams we are going to play against.”
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On the remainder of the transfer window in general, Clement was coy in his response when discussing the possibility of having more new arrivals on board by the time his side kick-off their Scottish Premiership campaign against Hearts at Tynecastle next weekend. He admitted: “That is a good question as a journalist but you know I can’t answer that because as long as there is no pen on paper, there is nothing in this world. It can be five minutes, five weeks... I don’t know, but there will be other signings.”
Recent loan signing Vaclav Cerny missed Saturday’s high-scoring 4-4 draw with Bundesliga outfit Union Berlin in the German capital as he awaits international clearance following his switch from VFL Wolfsburg. The result meant the Gers avoided a fourth straight pre-season loss, with braces from Tom Lawrence and Cyriel Dessers showing that Clement’s men are finally clicking into gear in the final third.
Their defensive frailties remain a major cause for concern after conceding a combined 10 goals across bounce games against Union Berlin, Ajax, Manchester United and Birmingham City, but Clement is refusing to hit the panic button and has challenged his players to show the belief that can win them silverware this season.
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Hide AdHe said: “It is simple, I want to win everything and I want that mentality in my squad. I’m not looking at it like ‘Is it possible with this or that group’. No, I want this mentality that everybody does his best and goes hard to win everything. That needs to be the mentality. We still have some things to do in the transfer market. We go hard for that but those are the things you can’t control, nor the ability of other teams for example. We need to focus on ourselves, as we did in the first five months we were together, to focus on ourselves and push hard with all the players available. To get the maximum out of every game and three points, that is our focus.
He added: “We are, in a way, where we want to be, but I never have expectations in that way. We go full to win three points against Hearts and need to be on our toes, we know that.”
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