Tigers are linked with a move for Hearts sniper Shankland
SCOTTISH Premiership outfit Hearts admit they may well have to sanction the sale of star striker Lawrence Shankland this summer to avoid the risk of losing him for free in 12 months time.
Shankland was strongly linked with a move to Hull City in January along with Championship rivals Southampton and Middlesbrough, but the 28-year-old opted to stay at Tynecastle and continue his fine form.
It’s that fine form that alerted a host of clubs including City, and 29 goals and eight assists in 49 games for the Jam Tarts and the Tartan Army will only further enhance his stock ahead of a summer which will likely be filled with yet more speculation with the PFA Scotland Player of the Year set to be a big part of his country’s hopes at the Euros in Germany next month.
Attacking players will be firmly on the MKM Stadium shopping list once more this summer with the Edinburgh club reportedly valuing their marksman at £5m in January, and that value unlikely to drop significantly in the coming weeks.
Tynecastle boss Steven Naismith admits the club will need to address the situation with the in-form frontman out of contract next summer.
“He has a year left and the club will have a decision to make in terms of the bigger picture. We need to look ahead. We can’t have situations every year like Josh Ginnelly, where he comes to the end of his contract and we can’t do anything about it,” Naismith told the Edinburgh News.
“You have got to value him: What’s the worth of keeping a player for that last year? Is there an offer there? Does he want to sign a new contract? All these factors come in. There is a real calmness within the club about it all. There is an understanding of all the variations that can happen.
“One thing is for sure, as long as Shanks is here he will give one 100 per cent and he will lead by example as he has done all season.”