Hearts have given Lawrence Shankland an ultimatum amid West Brom transfer links.
West Brom are reportedly interested in signing Lawrence Shankland on a free transfer.
Derek McInnes, West Brom’s favourite and new Heart of Midlothian manager, has revealed that his team would not wait for striker Lawrence Shankland to commit his future to the club, despite talk that he could move to The Hawthorns. Shankland has established himself as one of the most potent forwards in Scottish football; for Ayr United, Dundee United, and now Hearts, the Scottish international has scored 138 goals in his previous seven seasons north of the border, 64 of which have come in the Scottish Premier League.
The 29-year-old’s three-year contract at Tynecastle expires this summer, and he has an offer from Hearts to stay in Edinburgh – but that is far from guaranteed, with Albion previously linked as they aim to strengthen under new manager Ryan Mason ahead of the new season. McInnes has spoken with Shankland since the end of the season, but the former Aberdeen and Kilmarnock manager needs clarity in the near future so he knows how to proceed with his own transfer plans, including whether Shankland will be supplemented by new signings or replaced entirely.
“I’ve made it clear l’d like to work with Lawrence but it’s not just me selling how I see him and the advantages of staying at Hearts,” McInnes stated a month prior. “I believe there are clear advantages for Lawrence in continuing at Hearts, given the direction I want the team to take, and I believe he could capitalise on that. “I’d prefer to be patient with it, but as a new manager, you want to bring your group together as soon as possible. I’ve never been one to set deadlines. I often think that people are resistant to deadlines. I don’t think that’s the ideal practice, but there must be mutual esteem and respect.
“I can’t have people sitting there thinking, ‘Well, hearts are there anyway, so I can keep them waiting.'” We may not be around in the future. We need to go on. I don’t want to be engaged in a fight that I can’t win, so if we’re not going to win, I’d rather simply walk away.”
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