Premier League side Southampton have joined Celtic, Stoke City and Blackpool in the race to sign Dundee United striker Lawrence Shankland.
The Scottish Sun have reported that the Saints are looking to sign the Scottish striker before the January transfer window slams shut on Friday. Apart from the Hoops, Stoke and Blackpool, London-based outfit Queens Park Rangers are also in the chase for the forward.
Should Shankland replace Danny Ings?
Ings can't be replaced
He's good enough for that
Shankland’s club have slapped a £3 million price tag on the 24-year-old, with their manager Robbie Neilson being adamant that the player isn’t going anywhere this month.
Prolific in the Scottish Championship
Shankland has been in impressive form for the Arabs this season. He has made 26 appearances in all competitions for the club, scoring as many as 25 times during this time and racking up three assists. In the Scottish Championship, he has scored 22 times in 20 games.
He was at Ayr United last season and he had an impressive goalscoring form for them too. In the 2018-19 campaign, Shankland made 41 appearances in all competitions and scored as many as 34 goals and got eight assists as well.
Shankland has already made his debut for the Scottish national team. His debut came in October 2019, when he played 45 minutes against Russia. He also played the full 90 minutes of the country’s win over San Marino, scoring his first goal.
TIF Tactics
Shankland’s numbers show that he is a prolific goalscorer and he has done that on a regular basis over the last few months. But Southampton currently have Danny Ings as the regular striker, with the Englishman having scored 16 times in all competitions in 27 games.
It shows that Shankland might not get regular football if he does join. But if Ings ever leaves, Shankland might be a very good option to replace him.