Nils Koppen could be left sweating over his role at Rangers after deciding against a late move for Hearts striker Lawrence Shankland.
The Gers held talks over a possible deal with the forward right up until the 30 August deadline [HITC] but were unwilling to pay the £3million asking price with less than 12 months left on his contract.After the humiliating 3-0 defeat to Celtic on Sunday [1 September], Rangers’ transfer business has once again been called into question.
And should the season pan out as many fear it will, with a five-point gap already on Celtic, Koppen could face the axe as director of football recruitment once the dust settles on the season.
Lawrence Shankland could make Nils Koppen regret his Rangers choice
The 29-year-old scored 24 SPFL goals last season for a Hearts side that finished third in the league, 17 points behind Rangers in second.
Cyriel Dessers has been in excellent form at the start of the campaign with three goals in four matches. However, the Belgian provided little goal threat against Celtic, and his goals against the rest of the sides in the league will matter not if he is unable to do the business in the Old Firm derby.
Shankland will be expected to continue his prolific form into the new campaign. He is yet to find the back of the net this season but once the goals begin to arrive for the forward, his stock will only rise ahead of becoming a free agent in June.
Koppen is already under immense pressure for the Light Blues. His recruitment for Philippe Clement’s side this summer has been ripped to shreds [Jamie O’Hara] after the apparent gulf in class between themselves and Celtic.
Goals are the most valuable commodity in football and there are not many better at finding the back of the net in Scotland than Shankland. His presence on the pitch during the Old Firm could have been the difference between a devastating defeat and a resounding victory.
Koppen will need to right his wrongs in the coming months and convince the forward that his future lies in Glasgow, but whether or not Shankland will view Rangers as a viable option at the midway point of the season remains to be seen.
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