Scottish Premiership champions Celtic and League One challengers Sunderland have been linked with Ayr United’s Lawrence Shankland.
Celtic and Sunderland have been handed a potential boost in the pursuit of prolific Lawrence Shankland with the summer transfer window looming large on the horizon, as reported by the Daily Record.
Shankland has scored a scarcely believable 31 goals in 32 games for Ayr United this season with his side sitting second in the Scottish Championship table and eyeing promotion to the top flight.
The 23-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season, however, and it would be a major surprise if he was still at Ayr when the 2019/20 campaign kicked off.
The Daily Record reports that Sunderland are keen while Celtic could offer Shankland the chance to prove himself at the top level of Scottish football, according to Wales Online.
And, in an interesting twist, the former St Mirren forward has now rejected a move to the Belgian second tier. Saint Gilloise offered Shankland a deal that would have trebled his wages but he has turned down a switch to the European nation.
It seems that money is not at the front of Shankland’s mind as he considers the biggest move of his career so far. Although it must be pointed out that Celtic and Sunderland could probably afford to pay him more than he would have received in Belgium.
It remains to be seen how he would get on at a club like Celtic while Sunderland manager Jack Ross will know the striker well from his time in charge of St Mirren.
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