Dundee United recently pulled off the stunning signing of Lawrence Shankland. After scoring 34 times last term, there were plenty of teams with reported interest in Shankland, one of them being Hearts.
According to the Scottish Sun, the Jambos had contacted the lethal frontman over a move. Somehow, it was United who won the race to sign the in-demand striker.
Shankland is a Dundee United player now. (Photo by Steve Welsh/Getty Images)
He’ll have a chance to show Hearts what they are missing out on this week when United face the Jambos in Betfred Cup action.
Shankland would have been a decent Hearts signing
He’s only been in pre-season for a short period of time, so it’s unlikely Shankland will be at full match fitness. He did get his first United goal though in a pre-season defeat to Dumbarton recently.
He’ll get some minutes for sure, even if it’s a substitute appearance at half time or something similar. Hearts will need to very wary of the threat he poses.
The ex-Ayr frontman was lethal last term. (photo by David Young/Action Plus via Getty Images)
The Tangerines striker scored two hat-tricks in the Betfred Cup group stages for Ayr last year, a very impressive feat. In total Shankland scored nine from six Betfred Cup games last year. It shows how dangerous he can be in this competition.
Shankland would have been a good signing for Craig Levein and Hearts. He’s different to anything currently at the club, with pace and lethal finishing from inside the 18 yard box trademarks of his game.
He would also have been a potential candidate to score twenty goals in a season, something Hearts haven’t seen a player do since the 90s and John Robertson. Shankland is capable of making such a step up, so that’s why his choice of staying in the Scottish Championship seems odd.
Hearts could have been doing with goal machine Shankland. (photo by David Young/Action Plus via Getty Images)
Regardless, he’s a Tangerine, not a Jambo. He’ll have the chance to show the Gorgie outfit a glimpse of what could have been in the SPFL’s maiden game for the 2019/20 campaign.