Kyle Lafferty, according to the Scotsman, has been told he can leave Rangers this summer. Gers boss Steven Gerrard is looking to shuffle him out the door after a poor spell at Ibrox.
The Northern Irishman moved to Govan last year, following a fruitful return to Scotland with Hearts.
Lafferty doesn’t seem needed at Ibrox. (Photo By Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile via Getty Images)
With Lafferty reportedly in need of a new home, and the Jambos in need of a goalscorer, a deal seems to make perfect sense.
It isn’t quite as clear cut as that though. If Craig Levein did move for his former striker, there would be clear pros and cons.
The Lafferty positives and negatives
The ex-maroon talisman was disappointing overall this season. He only netted five times in 23 appearances in the league.
Lafferty’s struggles aren’t as bad as they appear. (Photo by Josef Bollwein/SEPA.Media /Getty Images)
That looks poor, however, he only made seven starts, with his last full 90 minutes coming in December against Hamilton. Five goals in seven starts sounds no where near as bad as five goals in 23 appearances does. One of the goals even came for the Jambos, scoring against Celtic in August.
Would Lafferty deliver goals? Probably, but it’s not guaranteed. This season will have rocked his confidence. The Jambos would need to be prepared, if he did sign, that he would take time to find his feet.
Is he a better option than the likes of Craig Wighton and David Vanecek? Yes, but Lafferty isn’t getting any younger. He’ll be 32 in September and would provide only a short-term fix to Hearts’ striker woes.
Lafferty could be a threat if he finds confidence. (photo by Vagelis Georgariou/Action Plus via Getty Images)
If Lafferty signed tomorrow it would likely be a one-year deal, and it would be likely he would be off again the following summer. Levein should maybe be looking at a Lawrence Shankland type player. Someone who is young, yet reliable, and could be a focal point for Hearts for many a season.
Hearts need a striker, but I’m not convinced Lafferty suits the Gorgie outfit anymore. After a rocky season where he was a shadow of his former self, the Jambos really could be doing without signing someone who may not work.
However, if they did get him firing, he’d be great. The striker was brilliant last time out and is guaranteed goals on form.
Lafferty signing would spark debate amongst the Gorgie faithful. (Photo by Alan Rennie/Action Plus via Getty Images)
Would Lafferty be a decent signing for Hearts? We’ll only know if he does eventually pull on a maroon shirt again.