Rangers have signed Lawrence Shankland from Scottish Premiership rivals Hearts.
The 30-year-old has put pen to paper on an initial two-year deal at Ibrox until the summer of 2028, with an option to extend that by a further 12 months.
Shankland scored 20 goals for Hearts last season, including 16 in the Scottish Premiership, as they missed out on winning a historic league title on the final day of the season.
His exit from Tynecastle Park will be confirmed on June 15, when the transfer window opens, and comes just 12 months after signing a three-year deal at Hearts as captain.
While it has been announced that the move is for an undisclosed fee, it is thought the Ibrox club have taken advantage of a clause within that deal he signed last year.
The Scotland striker will now jet off to the USA for the World Cup, before returning later in the summer to join up with Rangers head coach Danny Rohl’s squad.
‘Shankland’s dream come true’
Shankland will join up with his new team after the World Cup
Speaking to Rangers TV, Shankland said: “I am delighted to be here and to have this opportunity. Rangers is my boyhood club and it has always been a dream to play here so I was really keen to get it done.
“A lot of hard graft has gone in to get to this point and I’m just really happy. The club are in a position where they want to get back to winning silverware more regularly and I want to be a big part of that so that’s what I have come here to do.”
Head coach Röhl added: “We are delighted to have Lawrence join Rangers, he is a player with proven quality, leadership and work ethic, and his goalscoring record in Scotland speaks for itself.
“He understands the demands and expectations that come with playing for Rangers, and we believe his character and experience will be a huge asset for the group. I wish him well at the World Cup this summer, and look forward to welcoming him back to Glasgow during pre-season.”
Shankland’s route from Ibrox stands to squad
Shankland’s footballing career began at Queen’s Park
Shankland grew up a Rangers fan but his footballing career started at Queen’s Park alongside Andy Robertson.
His move to Aberdeen in 2013 resulted in loan spells at Dunfermline, St Mirren and Morton as he looked to make his mark.
It took some time but that mark was made in 2017. He joined Ayr United as a free agent, on a short-term deal, and scored 29 goals across all competitions in his first season.
During the following campaign he struck 34 goals and ended up moving to Dundee United, where he fired them back into the top flight with 28 goals in his first season.
Shankland impressed during his time at Dundee Utd
Two seasons later and he moved to Belgian club Beerschot, where he struggled, as the club were relegated from the top flight.
That led to a return to Scotland as he penned a three-year deal at Hearts and impressed, scoring 24 league goals in his first two seasons.
When his contract ended last summer, there were offers from abroad but not from Ibrox. After months of talks, he opted to stay at Hearts and netted 20 times across all competitions last season, which almost fired the club to league glory.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Shankland scored against Celtic on the final day of last season
However, following a season that caught the eye of Rangers chiefs and beyond – the striker who grew up supporting the club has now moved to Ibrox and will undoubtedly be a key player for Röhl.
The leader Rangers need?
Shankland is Rangers head coach Danny Rohl’s first summer signing
The move for Shankland may come as a surprise to some.
After all, just 12 months ago, Rangers failed to sign him when he was out of contract. Bearing in mind some fans even wanted him in the January before to boost a title bid, it seemed like the ‘Shankland to Rangers’ ship had sailed.
However, just over a week on from a campaign in which he nearly fired Hearts to their first top-flight title in 66 years, the player cut short his holiday and agreed a switch to Glasgow.
On the pitch, it is clear what he can do. Just ask Rangers fans, as he scored four league goals in three games against the Ibrox club during the campaign. However, it is not just his goals that will excite the supporters, but also his leadership skills.
After all, chairman Andrew Cavenagh said the club must sign players who have the right mentality to play for the club, after watching them finish third in the league.
Could Shankland replace James Tavernier as Rangers captain?
The US businessman also wanted recruitment to have a “Scottish Premiership bias” and said Rangers would have “a bias towards Scottish players” too, when it came to this summer.
Well, Shankland hits the nail on the head in every aspect.
He’s a leader, he knows the league, he scores goals, and he is Scottish.
Rangers need a new captain after James Tavernier left at the end of his deal. Could Shankland be the man to fill those boots and fire the club back to winning silverware after another trophyless season?
Who else could Rangers sign amid Graham, Neil interest?
One of Rangers’ targets is Dundee defender Luke Graham. The Ibrox side have watched the 22-year-old impress at Dens Park last season and held initial talks with his representatives.
However, there have been no formal talks between the clubs for the player who also has interest from the English Championship and clubs across Europe and the USA.
Dundee’s Luke Graham is wanted by Rangers
Dundee turned down a bid from Portsmouth in January but are braced for more offers this summer.
Graham is training with the Scotland squad this week to help the squad prepare for a warm-up game against Curacao.
Rangers have also spoken to midfielder Dan Neil’s representatives, with the 24-year-old out of contract at Sunderland this summer.
The Ibrox side were keen to sign the player in January who joined Ipswich on loan, and he is back on Rohl’s radar.
Dan Neil joined Ipswich on loan in January despite interest from Rangers
However, there is interest from clubs in the Premier League and English Championship and it is thought the player will weigh up his options.
Motherwell’s in-demand midfielder Elliot Watt is also a potential target for Rangers.
However, there have been no talks over a deal with the Fir Park club, who will want to keep the 26-year-old at the club after impressing in his 42 appearances last season.
Can Hearts fill gap left by Shankland?
Shankland stayed at Hearts last summer after talks with Derek McInnes
For everything that Rangers gain, Hearts lose.
It is fair to say Shankland was the best striker in Scotland last season. Had he not missed two months of the campaign due to a hamstring injury, those goalscoring returns would be even better.
Shankland departs with 88 goals in 171 games for the club. Not only that, he was the leader in the group that so many turned to.
Replacing a captain is hard enough. Filling the void of 20-plus goals a season adds to the challenge facing Hearts head coach Derek McInnes.
For all of Jamestown Analytics’ power, plus McInnes’ knowledge of the market, Hearts might need to find a couple of summer additions to step up and replace the man who wore the No 9 jersey at Tynecastle.
What’s next?
Already thinking about the 2026/27 Scottish Premiership season?
There’s a World Cup to fit in first – follow live blogs of every game on the Sky Sports App – but the key dates are locked in for next term, when Sky Sports will once again show you the best of the action.
Here’s your summer diary:
June 11: World Cup starts – day-by-day fixture list
June 14: Scotland’s opener vs Haiti (2am)
June 15: Summer transfer window opens
June 18: Scottish Premiership fixtures released (noon)
July 19: World Cup final
August 1-2: Scottish Premiership opening weekend
September 1: Transfer Deadline Day (window closes at 11pm UK time)
April 10-11, 2027: Final pre-split Scottish Premiership fixtures
May 15-16, 2027: Scottish Premiership final day