Rangers’ summer has been defined by disappointment, with Lawrence Shankland’s move to Ibrox failing to deliver the instant impact many had anticipated when the deal was struck.
The Scotland striker arrived from Hearts with considerable fanfare, having scored 16 Premiership goals across 2025/26 and appearing to be exactly the clinical finisher Rangers desperately needed.
Manager Derek McInnes followed Shankland from Tynecastle to Ibrox, making it feel like a continuation of a successful partnership that had driven Hearts’ title challenge last season.
However, Shankland has managed just one goal in a Rangers shirt to date, starting from the bench on four occasions already as McInnes has shifted to a lone striker system.
The decision to hand the 31-year-old the captain’s armband now looks increasingly questionable given his reduced role, summing up what has been a deeply troubled summer at Ibrox.
Rangers sit eight points behind Celtic at the top of the Premiership, having also exited Europe, putting McInnes under significant early pressure in his tenure as head coach.
Twelve signings have already been made this summer, with Portland Timbers striker Kevin Kelsy appearing set to follow Girona’s Kim Min-su through the doors at Ibrox imminently.
The club is also tracking Brighton and Hove Albion winger Amario Cozier-Duberry as part of their ongoing search for additional wide options before the window closes.
However, the most intriguing transfer development surrounds reports from Turkey linking Rangers with a reunion with Czech winger Vaclav Cerny, currently at Bestikas with an uncertain future.
The Light Blues are said to have lodged a verbal offer of around €8m, equivalent to approximately £7m, for the 28-year-old, though Bestikas are holding out for closer to €10m.
Bestikas have reportedly already identified Benfica’s Dodi Lukebakio as a potential replacement, suggesting the Turkish club may be open to allowing Cerny to depart under the right terms.
Rangers fans will remember Cerny fondly from his loan spell, during which he scored and assisted a remarkable 27 goals across 52 appearances in all competitions during the 2024/25 campaign.
That season, on loan from Wolfsburg, Cerny was particularly devastating in Europe, contributing eight goals and assists across just 12 Europa League outings for the Ibrox side.
In the Premiership during that loan spell, he scored 12 and added four assists, while averaging an impressive 2.5 key passes and 1.4 successful dribbles per game throughout.
Shankland’s struggles on the continental stage have further highlighted the gap left by Cerny’s departure, and a permanent return could prove transformative for a Rangers side badly needing a spark.
Unlike many attackers who perform in only one capacity, Cerny offers Rangers a player capable of winning matches independently, functioning equally effectively as a scorer or a creative force.
With the Ibrox board under pressure to turn the season around quickly, securing a player who has already proven himself in this environment could be the shrewdest move available to them.
If the gap between the clubs on valuation can be bridged, Rangers would be bringing back one of the most effective wide players seen at Ibrox in recent years, and a genuine talisman.