Glasgow Rangers officially confirmed the signing of centre-forward Lawrence Shankland to bolster Danny Rohl’s options up front earlier this month.
It will be interesting to see how the German boss handles the striker position next season because he now has Danilo, Bojan Miovski, Youssef Chermiti, Ryan Naderi, and Shankland for one position.
The Gers often played with one striker up front in the 2025/26 campaign, although they did occassionaly trial playing two from the start, and that could mean that some tough decisions will have to be made.
Shankland scored 16 goals for Hearts in the Scottish Premiership this season, more than any player in the Rangers squad, and could be the first-choice option for Rohl if he goes with one marksman.
The former Sheffield Wednesday head coach could go with the Scotland international and Chermiti as a front two, as the pair combined for 31 league goals this term.
Rangers leading the race to sign Premiership star
Shankland looks set to be an excellent addition to the squad, irrespective of the role that he plays, because he is a proven Premiership scorer and leader.
However, the experienced number nine may not be the best signing made from another Premiership club by the Light Blues during the off-season.
According to the Pink Un, Glasgow Rangers are leading the race to sign Dundee central defender Luke Graham in the upcoming summer transfer window.
Covering Norwich City’s interest in the Scottish colossus, the report claims that the Gers are one of the teams leading the race to land the left-footed star ahead of Philippe Clement’s side.
It adds that the Canaries are yet to make a formal approach to enter talks over a deal for the defender, but he is a player they have assessed as they look for a new left-sided centre-back.
The report reveals that Dundee are set to demand in excess of £1.5m for the 22-year-old stopper, but it remains to be seen how much Rangers are willing to pay to bring him to Ibrox.
Why Luke Graham would be a better Rangers signing than Shankland
As aforementioned, Shankland’s goal return and experience at Hearts suggests that he can be an excellent addition to Rohl’s squad for next season.
Rangers, however, were the top scorers in the Premiership with 76 goals this season. It was stopping goals from going in that was their issue, as they let in 43 goals, more than Motherwell, Celtic, and Hearts.
Improving their defence, therefore, is even more important than improving their attack. That is why signing a dominant defender like Graham could be even better for the squad than the deal to sign Shankland.
|
25/26 Premiership |
Luke Graham |
John Souttar |
|---|---|---|
|
Appearances |
36 |
24 |
|
Tackles + interceptions per game |
2.7 |
1.4 |
|
Dribbled past per game |
0.4x |
0.5x |
|
Clearances per game |
6.5 |
6.2 |
|
Blocks per game |
1.0 |
0.6 |
|
Duels won per game |
7.7 |
4.9 |
|
Ground duel success rate |
62% |
59% |
|
Aerial duel success rate |
70% |
64% |
The 22-year-old star’s form for Dundee this season suggests that he would arrive at Ibrox as an upgrade on John Souttar at centre-back, as he outperformed the Rangers man in every key defensive metric.
Graham could be even more dominant against opposition attackers than Souttar is, winning a higher percentage of his duels on the ground and in the air, which could help him to cut out more attacks and prevent the Gers goalkeeper from being worked as much.
He is a Premiership proven defender who could slot straight into the team and immediately improve the team’s struggling defence, given his impressive form this year.
The Dundee star, who was nominated for the SPFL Young Player of the Year award, is also a naturally left-footed player, which is not something that Rohl had this term.
After Derek Cornelius fell out of favour, the German coach only had right-footed defenders Souttar, Nasser Djiga, and Emmanuel Fernandez to select.
Graham, though, is a naturally left-footed player who can offer balance in possession on that side of the defensive pairing, allowing Fernandez to play on his favoured foot, which could improve how they build play up.
At the age of 22, Rangers would also be signing a player who has the potential to be the future of the defence, as he could spend the next decade at Ibrox, if he remains consistent and loyal.
Shankland, however, turns 31 in August and may not have quite as many years left ahead of him at the top of his game, which is yet another reason why the Dundee man would be an even better signing for the club.
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