Rangers reportedly set to swoop for Hearts captain Lawrence Shankland

Rangers are reportedly set to make a sensational early move in the summer transfer window by trying to sign Hearts captain Lawrence Shankland.

Over the weekend, the Scottish Sun have reported that Rangers have identified the Scotland striker as one of their top summer targets and are looking to seal the move before the World Cup starts in June.

Such a transfer would round off a hugely disappointing couple of weeks for Hearts after they agonisingly missed out on a first Scottish Premiership title for 60 years following a dramatic 3-1 defeat at champions Celtic.

As well as impressively captaining the side, Shankland scored 20 times in 33 games last season, a tally that included crucial goals against both Celtic and Rangers.

The 30-year-old was rewarded for his impressive form as he was recalled to the Scotland side in November 2025 and he was then named in Steve Clarke's 26-man squad for the World Cup starting next month.

After such a terrific run of form following the appointment of Rohl, Rangers were left hugely disappointed after a run of five straight defeats derailed their title bid.

However, Rangers were the top scorers in the division in 2025/26, so if they can add the firepower of Shankland to their forward line, they will be confident that can sustain a genuine title challenge next season.