Glasgow Rangers have one game left to play before the official end to their 2023/24 campaign as they face their local rivals in the SFA Cup final on Saturday.
The Light Blues have the opportunity to secure a second domestic trophy of the season, having won the League Cup earlier this term, by winning the showpiece at Hampden Park this weekend.
Philippe Clement's side had beaten Aberdeen 1-0 at Hampden in the League Cup final, thanks to a goal from captain James Tavernier, and will be hoping for a similar result against Celtic in the SFA Cup.
The bulk of the Belgian head coach's focus will, therefore, be on this huge Old Firm clash to come on Saturday, and the trophy on offer alongside it, but the upcoming summer transfer window will also be in the back of his mind.
He has yet to have a summer window in charge of the club and it will, therefore, be his and head of recruitment Nils Koppen's first chance to make big changes to the playing squad ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
A new striker has now emerged as a possible target for the Light Blues to bolster their attack, and he could be a dream alternative to Lawrence Shankland.
Rangers keeping tabs on exciting young forward
According to the Daily Record, Rangers are keeping a close eye on Rapid Bucharest's exciting young centre-forward Albion Rrahmani ahead of the summer.
The report claims that the Scottish giants have been scouting the attacker closely but has not revealed whether or not they are prepared to move in with a firm offer for his services.
That came after Kosovan Football on X claimed last week that the Gers are 'keen' to bring the 23-year-old finisher to Ibrox ahead of next season, whilst they added that there had not been any official movement in the pursuit at that point.
The same account relayed a claim from commentator and football director Arlind Sadiku in April that Rapid Bucharest would want a fee of up to €8m (£6.8m) to part ways with the striker, amid interest from Slavia Prague.
Koppen and Clement could now land a dream alternative to Shankland, who Football Insider reported in February is a summer target for the Gers, by landing a deal to sign the impressive youngster from the Romanian outfit.
The Hearts forward could be a fantastic addition to the squad but if they fail to land the Scotland international then Rrahmani would be a fantastic option instead.
Why Lawrence Shankland would be a good signing for Rangers
The experienced attacker, who was valued at around £3m in January, enjoyed a sublime 2023/24 campaign in the Scottish Premiership for the Jam Tarts.
He won the Premiership Player of the Year award thanks to his terrific goalscoring exploits for Steven Naismith's side throughout the season.
Shankland plundered an eye-catching 24 goals and four assists in 37 league matches for Hearts to earn himself the best player in the division crown.
Lawrence Shankland
18.36
24
+5.64
Kemar Roofe
1.48
1
-0.48
Danilo
6.68
4
-2.68
Sam Lammers
4.71
2
-2.71
Cyriel Dessers
21.72
16
-5.72
As you can see in the table above, the Scottish star achieved that tally without being blessed with the quality of chances that current Rangers striker Cyriel Dessers had in front of goal.
These statistics show that Clement has a crop of attackers who have been incredibly wasteful in front of goal, whilst Shankland has been incredibly clinical.
The 28-year-old striker outperformed his xG by almost six goals and only missed nine 'big chances' in total, which speaks to his sensational finishing quality in the Premiership.
Shankland, as you can see in the clip of his winner in the Edinburgh derby, also has the mentality and quality to step up in big matches, which is illustrated by his record against Old Firm sides.
The right-footed star has scored an eye-catching six goals in just ten appearances against Celtic in his career, to go along with five goals in 23 outings against Rangers – including one in three matches this term.
If the Light Blues fail to snap him up from their Premiership rivals, though, then Rrahmani could be an exciting dream alternative to the Jam Tarts captain.
Why Rangers should sign Albion Rrahmani
Firstly, the Rapid Bucharest striker is a young talent, at the age of 23, who has plenty of years left ahead of him to develop and grow and could, therefore, be a long-term signing for Rangers.
He is five years younger than Shankland and could offer more to the club moving forward, making him a good investment for the future, whilst also having the potential to make an impact in the short-term.
Rrahmani, who scout Ignacio Almada lauded as "ambidextrous", enjoyed a sublime season in the Superliga in Romania and could be a lethal addition to Clement's side if his performances can translate over to the Premiership.
The both-footed star racked up 17 goals in 25 league appearances for Rapid Bucharest and offered quality as a creator for his teammates, with 13 'big chances' created from a centre-forward position.
Appearances
37
25
Goals
24
17
Minutes per goal
136
125
Conversion rate
18%
22%
Assists
4
5
Big chances created
6
13
Key passes per game
1.4
2.0
As you can see in the table above, Rrahmani enjoyed a stronger season than Shankland at the top end of the pitch with fewer minutes per goal, a higher conversion rate, and significantly more impressive creative statistics.
Whilst they are both impressive finishers who have proven they can find the back of the net on a consistent basis, the Kosovo international has shown that he can consistently create for others – with seven more 'big chances' created in 12 fewer appearances than the Scotsman.
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Therefore, Rrahmani could be a dream alternative to the Hearts captain as he has far more years ahead of him to develop and thrive in a Rangers shirt, whilst also having the potential, if his form translates over to Scottish football, to offer more as both a scorer and a creator of goals for Clement.