Lawrence Shankland set for Rangers medical after agreeing to leave Hearts
Scotland forward Lawrence Shankland is expected to undergo a medical on Tuesday before formalising his surprise transfer from Hearts to William Hill Premiership rivals Rangers.
The 30-year-old has already agreed a deal with the Ibrox club, the Press Association understands, after they triggered a break clause allowing him to leave Tynecastle.
The transfer, which has left Hearts supporters reeling, will be announced by the two clubs on “undisclosed terms” upon completion of a medical.
Shankland appeared to be tied to Hearts until 2028, but it emerged over the weekend that the three-year contract he signed last summer had a get-out clause in the player’s favour.
While the Edinburgh club have been criticised by some supporters for sanctioning such a deal, they would not have had the services of the prolific forward for the past year if they had declined his request.
Shankland was out of contract last summer and appeared to be on his way out of Tynecastle. But with no suitable offers forthcoming after a relatively underwhelming 2024-25 campaign, the arrival of Derek McInnes as manager helped convince him to prolong his stay at Hearts.
The former Dundee United striker grew up as a Rangers fan and it was widely assumed he would be Ibrox-bound a year ago, but previous Gers boss Russell Martin reportedly had no interest in signing him.
After scoring 20 goals for Hearts over the past season, helping them go agonisingly close to the Premiership title, Shankland has finally managed to convince the Ibrox club to make their move as they bid to bolster the Scottish contingent in their squad.
Having been caught on the hop by the news that he was free to leave if he wished, some frustrated Hearts fans have questioned why their club did not reveal there was a break clause when they announced his contract renewal last June. The Jambos, however, clearly did not want to alert other clubs.
The forward, who is heading to the World Cup, leaves Hearts with 88 goals to his name since he joined from Belgian club Beerschot in 2022. Shankland’s goals, including four against Rangers, helped the Edinburgh club finish above Gers.