Rangers and Hearts Agree Transfer for Lawrence Shankland
Rangers are reportedly set to sign Lawrence Shankland on a free transfer from Heart of Midlothian, while Celtic's negotiations for a permanent deal for Marcelo Saracchi from Boca Juniors have reportedly stalled.
Shankland is currently returning to Glasgow from holiday to undergo a medical and finalize his transfer to Rangers. The club has offered him a two-year contract with an option for a third year. Due to a clause in his Hearts contract, Shankland will join Rangers without a transfer fee. (Daily Record)
Hearts captain Lawrence Shankland is expected to sign for Rangers after agreeing personal terms with the club he supported during his youth. (Scottish Sun)
Should the Scotland striker complete his move from Hearts, Shankland could potentially surpass centre-half Emmanuel Fernandez and midfielder Nicolas Raskin as Rangers' new captain. (Football Insider)
Additional Transfer News and Player Updates
Rangers have been informed they must outbid Portsmouth, whose offer was rejected in January, to secure a deal for 22-year-old centre-half Luke Graham from Dundee this summer. (Football Insider)
In January, Rangers declined Monaco's £10 million loan-to-permanent offer for 22-year-old winger Djeidi Gassama. However, both the player and Rangers are open to considering a similar proposal this summer. (Football Insider)
Midfielder Dan Neil is scheduled to hold talks with Rangers. The 24-year-old is nearing the end of his Sunderland contract after completing a loan spell at Ipswich Town, where he contributed to their promotion to the Premier League. (Alan Nixon on Patreon)
Other Club and Player Developments
Hull City's promotion to the Premier League is expected to complicate Rangers' pursuit of 24-year-old Leeds United forward Joe Gelhardt, who scored 14 goals during his loan at Hull this season. (Football Insider)
Nigeria striker Kelechi Iheanacho has confirmed his desire to remain with Celtic, who hold an option to extend the 29-year-old's contract by an additional year. (Glasgow Times)
Marcelo Saracchi will return to Boca Juniors for the latter half of their season after talks with Celtic to convert his loan into a permanent transfer failed to progress. (Bolavip - in Spanish)
Former Celtic striker Frank McAvennie has suggested that Reo Hatate's absence from the team is due to a falling out with interim manager Martin O'Neill. The 28-year-old Japan midfielder has not featured recently. (Glasgow Times)
Preston North End has until 1 June to activate a clause to make Alfie Devine's loan from Tottenham Hotspur permanent for £4.5 million. Celtic may pursue the 21-year-old forward if Preston does not complete the deal by then. (Football Insider)
Volendam midfielder Juninho Bacuna has stated that Steven Gerrard's departure from Rangers hindered his ability to establish himself during his loan at Ibrox. The 28-year-old is now aiming to assist former Rangers manager Dick Advocaat in leading Curacao to victory in an upcoming World Cup warm-up match against Scotland. (The Herald)
Kusini Yengi believes he can earn a place in new Aberdeen manager Stephen Robinson's plans if he returns to the club this summer. However, he may remain with Cerezo Osaka if Aberdeen cancels his contract, as the J-League club is unwilling to pay a fee for the 27-year-old striker after his loan was cut short due to injury. (Press & Journal)
Hull City striker Oli McBurnie has stated there are "no hard feelings" between himself and Scotland head coach Steve Clarke after being omitted from the World Cup squad. (The Herald)
Robbie Keane, linked with the Celtic managerial position, has announced that "the time is right for me to move on" following his resignation as Ferencvaros head coach. He led the team to a second-place finish behind Gyori ETO in the Hungarian top flight. (The Herald)
