Lawrence Shankland link fades as Celtic and Rangers target Maswanhise
lawrence shankland once sat near the top of the Glasgow transfer conversation. Now Celtic and Rangers are said to be lining up for Motherwell forward Tawanda Maswanhise after a 17-goal Premiership season.
The shift is sharp. Shankland led the Premiership with 27 goals in 2023/24, while Maswanhise has become the latest striker to put up numbers that force the Old Firm back into the market.
Maswanhise at Motherwell
Maswanhise has 22 goals in all competitions and 28 in his first 75 games in Scotland. Signed from Leicester City in 2024, he made just one senior appearance for the English club before settling into Scottish football.
The figure that will drive the summer talk is the price. He is said to be available for around £5 million, and he has just over a year left on his existing deal. That combination gives any interested club a clear window to act before the situation tightens further.
Rangers and Celtic move
Celtic and Rangers are both in the race for his signature, with bids expected this summer. The two clubs are approaching the market from different squad realities, but they arrive at the same point: a forward who has been producing at a rate that stands out in the Premiership.
Rangers have already added three centre-forwards, including Ryan Naderi on deadline day, after earlier signing Youssef Chermiti and Bojan Miovski. Celtic’s forward line has been less settled, with Shin Yamada moved out on loan in 2025/26, Callum Osmand hampered by injury, Junior Adamu still without a league goal and Kelechi Iheanacho on six league goals while battling for fitness.
Shankland and the Glasgow market
Shankland’s name still belongs in this conversation because of what he did recently and where he was linked before. He finished third in the Premiership scoring charts in 2022/23 with 24 goals, then led the division with 27 the following season. Hearts are being powered by Claudio Braga and Shankland, who have 14 and 13 goals respectively.
That leaves Maswanhise as the cleaner fit for the summer chase. He has the age profile, the scoring record and the contract position to attract bids, and the numbers already point to a transfer battle that could move quickly once the window opens.
