Former playmaker linked to Rangers pursuing Barcelona ambition despite danger of scrapheap

Former playmaker linked to Rangers pursuing Barcelona

ambition despite danger of scrapheap

Former playmaker linked to Rangers pursuing Barcelona ambition despite danger of scrapheap

Since no one wants to pay more than necessary, January is typically a good time to sign players on loan.

For this reason, players like Jesse Lingard have previously been linked to Rangers.

The 32-time England international was supposedly targeted for a move to Ibrox during the 2021 winter transfer

window, but that transfer never happened. Instead, he found his greatest form again during a brief stint at West

Ham United.

Jesse Lingard would never, ever be considered for Rangers at his age of thirty-one and having hardly kicked a ball

since that season, which makes the most recent rumour all the more ludicrous.

Jesse Lingard attempts to get away from the Rangers connection by years

He played just over a thousand minutes for Nottingham Forest in the previous season.

Scarcely 500 for Man Utd last season.

He was out for the whole preseason and hasn’t kicked a ball at all this season. Remarkably, his wage demands

prevented him from moving to Saudi Arabia.

How, then, could he possible believe that Barcelona would be willing to take a chance on him, as reported by the

Spanish publication Sport?

Financial Fair Play rules undoubtedly hinder the La Liga powerhouses, but are they really so desperate to sign a

player who won’t be selected for the Rangers team going forward?

Jesse Lingard was never exactly the kind of player that would be welcomed at Ibrox; he was always more of a

moments player.

It doesn’t seem likely that an attacking midfielder/forward who spent the majority of their career in the first team

at Manchester United would break that pattern now that they had only 58 senior goals (and fewer assists) in their

career especially following such a stretch of inactivity and subpar performance.

Although Lingard never had a particular skill or speed that set him apart from the competition, a string of victories

on significant occasions allowed him to play at a higher level for longer than perhaps others.

But that moment has long since passed, and it would be a huge stretch to hope that Barcelona will take a chance given their current financial situation.

Even though they may not have as much money as they formerly did, they still have standards.

Rangers fighting losing battle to sign Lawrence Shankland

In a season and a half, the 28-year old has 53 goal contributions in 75 games, incredible numbers for a player

outside of the Old Firm and easy to see why Gers boss Philippe Clement is linked with a move.

Rangers shouldn’t be too concerned about a £3 million plus transfer cost because Lawrence Shankland is clearly at

the top of his game right now and, injury-free, could easily continue this for the next two to three seasons.

Hearts shouldn’t sell for the same reason that the Ibrox outfit should be interested.

Cash

A player’s value is based on what one club is ready to pay and how much they think they are worth.

Shankland’s potential worth to Hearts over the following two seasons is estimated at £8 million; add potential SPFL prize money, and that figure approaches £10 million.

Hearts, who are now in third place in the league, would undoubtedly be forced into a mid-table battle for a spot in the top six if it weren’t for their lucky charm.

Securing group stage football in the Europa Conference League can bring in upwards of £4 million, as Aberdeen has demonstrated this season.

Hearts could sell Lawrence Shankland to Rangers for £5m and still be out of pocket and with no guarantee that who they buy could replicate the form he has shown in front of goal.

Gambling on Shankland leaving for nothing could work in their favour in another way too.

At 30-years old, approaching 31, there won’t be as many clubs that would offer a long-term deal but you can almost guarantee that Hearts would.

He would almost certainly be their top earner and has the chance to cement his place as a club great.

Usually, it is the players that hold all the cards but, in this instance, a unique set of circumstances sees Hearts laughing all the way to the bank, one way, or another

 

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