Rangers transfer news: Million Manhoef, Hearts' Lawrence Shankland, Jack Butland - what could happen in January

Gers boss Clement goes into his first transfer window looking to add in forward areas

Rangers already have one signing in the building after the transfer window opened this morning. Wolves striker Fabio Silva joins the club on loan from Molineux and could make his debut against Kilmarnock on Tuesday.

The Portuguese 21-year-old bolsters a forward line in desperate need of replenishment and it would be no surprise to see manager Philippe Clement dip into the market again this month to add more options. This will be the first window for the Belgian since arriving in October and while Rangers do not have a vast war chest to spend, the 49-year-old is expected to receive some backing.

Speculation continues to mount over a move for Hearts’ in-form striker Lawrence Shankland. The 28-year-old has already scored 17 goals in 27 appearances this season, a far greater return than any of Rangers’ current forwards. Previous manager Michael Beale spent big in the summer to add attackers Cyriel Dessers, Danilo, Sam Lammers and Abdallah Sima but only the latter can be quantified as a success. Furthermore, the Brighton loanee heads off on international duty for Senegal at the Africa Cup of Nations and could miss up to seven matches.

Vitesse Arnhem's wide forward Million Manhoef has been linked with a move to Rangers.

Therefore, it is understandable why Rangers have been linked with Shankland. The Scotland internationalist has 18 months left on his Hearts contract, though, and the Tynecastle hierarchy are expected to demand a fee well in excess of £3million for his services. At 28-years-old, it is questionable whether Shankland also fits into Rangers’ recruitment model given his age and sell-on potential. New director of football recruitment Nils Koppen is expected to have a major say on incomings at Ibrox, although Clement is known to be an admirer of Shankland’s abilities, a player he became aware of when at Beerschot in the Belgian top flight.

Vitesse Arnhem winger Million Manhoef is another player to have been mooted as a Rangers target. The 21-year-old Dutchman is highly rated and valued in the region of £2.5m. Rangers would face competition for his signature should they decide to make a move for him.

In terms of outgoings, it will be fascinating to see if Clement is able to cull some of the squad. Defender Ben Davies was close to departure in the summer and if a viable suitor could be found then the left-sided centre-half could move on, as he has not featured regularly under the Belgian. However, given the number of injuries currently at Rangers – Borna Barisic, Ryan Jack, Tom Lawrence, Nicolas Raskin, Danilo and Kemar Roofe are all on the sidelines – then Clement may want to keep as many options open to him as possible.

One player who Rangers will not welcome any interest in is goalkeeper Jack Butland. The 30-year-old has been impressive since arriving on a free transfer from Manchester United last summer and The Scotsman understands that clubs in the English Premier League are monitoring his progress. Butland has three years on his Ibrox contract and only a ridiculous offer would tempt Rangers into selling him, though.

Wolves striker Fabio Silva has already arrived on loan until the end of the season.

Clement was quizzed on transfers in the immediate aftermath of losing 2-1 to Celtic, his first defeat as Rangers boss. “I never speak about players we are interested in or not because then I can speak every day about rumours, there are so many rumours in Glasgow that are wrong,” he said. “We will speak about players that are in the building and with Fabio it is the case and this year he'll push like the rest to make it a great season. How many are we looking to bring in? These are things we talked about with the board, everyone's aligned about that and we'll see what is possible in January. Everyone is working hard and pushing to get the maximum out of what we want.”

January signing priority: Another forward, given the absentees and poor returns from some of the goal-getters already in the squad.

Please don’t make a bid: Jack Butland, for obvious reasons. He has been the best goalkeeper in the league.

Players out of contract in the summer: Jon McLaughlin, Borna Barisic, Leon Balogun, John Lundstram, Ryan Jack, Kemar Roofe, Abdallah Sima (end of loan).