Rangers will undoubtedly be active in the transfer market over the coming weeks, and one position they will be looking to fill is at the top of the pitch, with a striker being a very important priority. But the Gers may have a decision to make on which one of two to sign.
Rangers did start the season with the striking options to score the goals required across the campaign, and the latest football betting odds at the time proved that. But Kemar Roofe has had a stop-start season with injury, Danilo is out for several months with injury too, while Cyriel Dessers has so far failed to deliver in front of goal. This has left the club and manager, Philippe Clement, with no choice but to explore the market in search of a proven goal-getter, and there are two standout options.
The first striker Rangers could make a move for is Kevin van Veen, who currently plies his trade in the Netherlands’ second tier with FC Groningen. The Dutchman has bagged five in fourteen appearances so far this term, but he’s available for transfer, with his current employers prepared to grant him his wish to leave. Van Veen is no stranger to Scottish football, having impressed at Motherwell in 2022/23. In the Scottish Premiership alone, the now thirty-two-year-old bagged twenty goals in thirty-three games, so it’s easy to see the appeal.
Van Veen’s availability and his goal-scoring prowess means that Motherwell are also in the mix to sign him, but you’d imagine if Rangers made a serious attempt to sign him, they’d be in with a strong chance of getting a deal over the line. The only question mark could be the length of contract the Dutchman is looking for, bearing in mind his age and the fact he’s contracted until 2026 at Groningen.
Another option Rangers could explore is Hearts striker Lawrence Shankland. The twenty-eight-year-old has proven himself in front of goal at all levels in Scotland, including in the Scottish Premiership, where he’s been on fire for the Jam Tarts this season, with ten goals in eighteen at the time of writing. If it was Shankland over Van Veen, Gers would be getting a player who is very much in his prime and four years younger, which would be a significant plus from the get-go.
But the stumbling block would be that Hearts won’t want to let Shankland go, as he’s been responsible for the team being in the mix for third this season. So you’d imagine it would take quite the offer to bring the Jam Tarts to the table, and even then, it may still not be enough. And ultimately, this could be the deciding factor. While Shankland may be the better option for many reasons, Van Veen could be the player who is easier to sign in the January transfer window. But in either scenario, Rangers are going to have to act fast, or they could miss out on both.