In this blog post we are looking to evaluate 3 of the best strikers in the SPFL this season with an overview of:
*History
*Strengths & Weaknesses
*Demonstrative Highlight For Each Player
*Data Analysis
*What they offer to any potential suitors or why it might be in the best interests of their current club to try and resist selling them.
*Final Thoughts
We have Lawrence Shankland (Heart of Midlothian), Bojan Miovski (Aberdeen) and Theo Bair (Motherwell)
The standout factor on all 3 is goals. The key figures that really make these guys stand out isn’t just the individual number but the percentage of goals they’ve scored and had a direct assist in for their respective teams in league games….
Goals & Assists:
Shankland : 21 goals (5 assists) of 46 = 57% involvement in Hearts League Goals
Miovski : 14 goals (2 assists) of 35 = 46% involvement in Aberdeens League Goals
Bair : 13 goals (4 assists) of 46 = 37% involvement in Motherwells League Goals
Impressive numbers for each player and vital numbers for their respective teams especially when you look at the numbers produced and projected by the other strikers in each team, none come close making them the talisman that these 3 have been this season.
Lets start with the profile information and a little history on all 3 players…..
PROFILES:
Lawrence Shankland
Age: 28 (10 Aug 1995)
Nationality: Scottish (9 Senior Caps / 2 Goals)
Current Club: Heart of Midlothian (Currently 3rd in Scottish Premiership, Scotland)
Position: Striker (Shirt Number 9)
Contract Expires: May 2025
History:
Lawrence Shankland started off playing for Queens Park youth team in Glasgow in 2009 and made his way into the first team in 2012 before moving to Aberdeen in 2013 and then out to various Scottish clubs on loan. Finally settling at Ayr United in 2017 where he spent 2 seasons and had a magnificent scoring record for The Honest Men with 50 goals in 61 games.
Then a move to fellow Scottish Championship team Dundee Utd in the summer of 2019 where Shanklands reputation as one of the most prolific strikers outside of the Scottish Premier League continued to grow with 24 goals in 26 league games helping Dundee United to promotion as Champions. The following season was Shanklands first in the Premiership since going 17 games, 0 goals for Aberdeen back in 2014/2015 and the boy that was shot shy way back then was now a different animal having earned his stripes in the Championship. 32 starts and a highly respectable 8 goals (3 assists) for a struggling Utd side who came 9th and only scored 32 goals.
Then early in 21/22 a bid was accepted and move to Beerschot in Belgium happened but despite being well liked the move never really worked out for Shankland. Then he joined Hearts for the 22/23 season and has never looked back. Scoring 24 in 37 league games last season and he’s on course to match or beat that this season.
Strengths and Weaknesses:
The obvious strength for Shankland is his finishing and it has been for years now but what has made his finishing better is what he’s added to give himself a far more rounded game over the past few years. His right foot is wicked and he trusts himself with a variety of finishes on that side. 12 of his 21 goals coming from it this season and his heading ability appears to have moved on a bit from last season with 5 headed goals in the league this season.
The thing that really impresses me with Shankland this year is his movement and how he deals with physicality, he has always been good at finding space, but the game changes when you are playing for a team who come up against more teams who are looking to play with low blocks and that know you are the main threat so you become a targeted man.
It’s not uncommon for a striker to have a hot season in the SPFL and then a cooler season because teams get to know you fast because of the volume of times they play each other and so adding to your skillset and ensuring you can mix things up are vital to maintaining good numbers. Especially when you play for a team like Hearts who have a support that expect them to be fighting for Europe and going deep into domestic cup competitions.
This season Shankland for me has taken more responsibility as the focal point of the Hearts attack, in part forced to because Liam Boyce has had so many injuries over the past 18 months and the loss of Ginnelly who was often the man to get up and beyond Shankland last season. This season Shankland spends a little less time drifting to the right side (when compared to last seasons heat map) and is now staying more central but dropping a little deeper to invite passes into his chest or feet, playing with his back to goal in the beginning of attacking phases to allow him to link with the likes of Forrest, Vargas and Jorge Grant and then going to find spaces to get on the end of things once Hearts have controlled possession in the opposition half. This is making him harder for defenders to pin down and is getting him in position for high value chances with 18 of his league goals coming from shots inside the box and his touches per game jumping up by over 8 per 90 on last seasons figure.
Shankland has 2 clear weaknesses. His left foot is the one you’d want to push him onto where possible, albeit he popped one in from distance vs Hibs to the delight of the Jambos support earlier in the season. The other is his pace over longer distances. He’s not going to win many sprints over 20 yards+, but again I’ll credit him with his ability to use what pace he does have aligned with his positional awareness to cause defenders real issues over 5 to 10 yards where no one hits max speed. It’s not a weakness as such, but there would be little value in using Shankland as a more traditional target man who can play back to goal and be the focal point for aerial passes because his heading is ok, but for me you’d risk losing so much of what he’s good at by placing him in that situation.
Highlight: Hearts vs Rosenborg (17th Aug 2023)
The reason I picked this highlight over many Shankland has produced this year is because this was a huge game early in the season. 2-1 down from the first leg in Norway against a Rosenborg team who were well into their domestic season is a real good stress test when watching a player.
25 seconds (Goal) – Shankland shows great understanding and anticipation of what the option is for Kingsley if he makes an early dart in behind. It’s a great ball from Kinglsey, Shanklands run is perfect off the back of the defender and into the defenders lane which means he has to move right to try and get back in. The finish can be looked at in terms of the strengths and weaknesses above. It’s a left footed take for anyone confident on that foot, but Shankland does something that to players of less quality doesn’t make sense, he lets it come onto his right which looks more difficult because his placement options reduce, but for him it’s not. It’s natural to him, which for a striker is a huge and knowing that you can execute the more difficult option with your strong foot at a better level than you can execute an easier option with your weak foot is the sign of a player knowing and trusting his natural instincts. Ultimately the end judgement from anyone watching whether or not it ends up as a goal. The finish is lovely in this instance with a little chipped effort that the goalie doesn’t see coming.
49 seconds (Link Up Play) – Great movement. He doesn’t instantly charge towards the penalty spot because that option isn’t there. His awareness to hang back a few yards off the defender who is dropping off allows him the space to have that quick look to see Boyce on his shoulder and flick it on, he then keeps his space and watches the defender panic and go to Boyce, in this instance Boyce should be knocking it back to Shankland but chooses to shoot, goalie saves and Hearts get some fortune with the ball coming straight to Devlin for a tap in.
1min 7seconds (Assist) – This is the simplest thing but yet the place where I think he’s really upped his game this season. Back to goal, defender is touch tight and he shows control to kill an awful shot from Devlin and then almost pause on the ball to see if Devlin is following up, which he is and Shanklands patience allows Devlin to get close enough to take the pass from and get the shot off to make it 3-1.
Bojan Miovski
Age: 24 (24 June 1999)
Nationality: Macedonian (22 Senior Caps / 3 Goals)
Current Club: Aberdeen (Currently 9th in Scottish Premiership, Scotland)
Position: Striker (Shirt Number 9)
Contract Expires: May 2026
History:
Bojan Miovski started off as a Futsal player and then moved over into football beginning his career in youth systems in North Macedonia which unfortunately is quite difficult to source information on bar the club history.
Starting at Bregainica and then moving on through various other Macedonian teams before a move from Renova to MTK in Hungary in 2020 changed his trajectory and a solid second season in 21/22 with 7 goals in 28 games (19 starts) brought him to the attention of Aberdeen who he joined in 2022.
Last season a productive partnership with Cape Verde international Duk brought both strikers 16 league goals each and they were a huge part of Aberdeen securing 3rd place. As seen by the numbers at the start he’s been vital for Aberdeen this season who unfortunately haven’t seen the same output from Duk which I think has impacted on both the team and on Miovksi, albeit I still think he’s had a good season on an individual level but Aberdeen as unit have struggled and find themselves in the bottom 6.
Strengths and Weaknesses:
Miovski like Shankland has some very obvious strengths and upon looking at his history it’s clear that he has that Futsal background has been good for him as he has some very nice little touches / tricks to get out of tight situations and he loves the little flick to move the ball around the outside to inside of a player and he moves round the other side to collect it and move on. His final shot is usually fairly accurate when it comes to hitting the target and he is a real danger when he finds the pockets on the right side that allow him to come in on his stronger left foot. His penalty taking is strong and he more often than not finds the net.
His main asset for me is his pace moving with the ball in 1vs1 situations, some players will look to drop the ball of and run, Miovksi on the other hand is willing and able to drive the game into the final third on his own when the opportunity presents itself. He also has a good burst of pace which makes him dangerous against teams who play a mid to high block.
In terms of weaknesses in his game. I think for a guy of his height and strength he could do more in the air especially in the final third and his link up play this season hasn’t been as good as last season, although I would point to him having had a solid relationship and understanding with Duk that would have been described as a real strength. It just hasn’t been replicated within the Aberdeen setup this season. A setup which has seen him play up top alone ahead of McGrath, Clarkson and Polvara in a 4231 or with the out of form Duk on the left of a 4231 or the new boy Sokler in a variety of systems.
In many ways the lack of consistency in the setup both on and off the field has been a huge factor in the poor season Aberdeen have had and going into next season there will be yet another new manager taking over. I would hope that if Miovski is still a Dandie Don then they’ll look to re-ignite the Miovski / Duk partnership or give him someone who will understand his movements and come central when he drifts the right to allow for those quick passes to open up spaces for Miovski to make the most of and to give Aberdeen a better attacking structure when they are in controlled possession or in an attacking transition.
Highlight: Ross Count vs Aberdeen (2nd Jan 2024)
1 minute 22 seconds (Assist) – AsI’ve mentioned above sometimes you need to see beauty in simplicity and this is just good reactions to the Aberdeen midfield creating a transition in Countys half and as soon as the ball is under control Miovski hits the breaks on his jog back and recognises he has open ground ahead that Baldwin does really well to cover, but Miovski is in his favored position when the ball comes back. He has time to look up and see 2 players at the edge and plays the percentages by putting it towards them.
2 minutes 30 seconds (Goal) – This again is good recognition of the situation he finds himself in. The hooked clearance is awkward because the bounce is taking it over his head but the defender on the outside is beaten by it and the deepest defender has dropped off instead of attacking a ball that he could have attacked on the second bounce but didn’t want to risk being beaten, unfortunately for the defender Miovski uses his pace and ability to drive with the ball to drive into the box and the finish off his left foot is nice and low across the goalkeeper. It could be said the goalie could do better but the key thing for any striker is give the shot a chance and Miovski tends to do that quite well.
Thelonius (Theo) Bair
Age: 24 (27 Aug 1999)
Nationality: Canadian (2 Senior Caps / 1 Goal)
Current Club : Motherwell (Currently 8th in Scottish Premiership, Scotland)
Position: Striker (Shirt Number 14)
Contract Expires: May 2025
Theo Bair has quite the history for a player at his age. A player who could have easily have ended up in track and field as a sprinter given his love of track and field in part because of his roots in Jamaica where Usain Bolt is a god. An avid reader and big Arsenal fan who unsurprisingly adored Thierry Henry he started off in the youth systems in Canada with Ottawa Royals and then making his way through a few other teams before landing at MLS team Vancouver Whitecaps where he spent a few years playing in the development squad. Trips with Canada to the Toulon tournament and various other developmental trips abroad really helped shape his youth career and maybe the reason he hasn’t been afraid of moving continents to try and make his way in the game.
Then having broken into the first team in 2019 and getting 19 appearances (10 starts) being played on the right side in a struggling Whitecaps team he was considered as one of the few positives in a struggling team who finished 23rd overall in the MLS.
Sadly for Bair that initial impact tapered off and 2020 seen his starts and minutes drop off and in 2021 he moved to HamKam on loan where he was part of title winning team that gained promotion to Eliteserien in Norway before heading back to Vancouver where things didn’t really progress for him.
Then a move to Scotland happened in early 2022. Callum Davidson and St.Johnstone bringing him in for small fee and despite some obvious strengths to his game St.Johnstone and Bair just didn’t fit with each other, resulting in him being released in July 23. A month later Motherwell signed him on a 2 year deal and this has been his breakout season as a striker.
Strengths and Weaknesses:
Bair is a really powerful runner and when he gets the chance to open up that big stride of his he’s poses defenders a real problem because of his size and speed especially when he’s on his favored right foot and although misused previously by teams who wanted to use him as a right winger he is good at drifting off to the right and left wings to find pockets and then get his head up and motoring towards goal.
One thing it took me a few games to see is actually for the limited chances he gets in games he is as effective as Miovski at getting a shot on target and some of his finishing this season leaves you wondering what on earth happened at St.Johnstone where he couldn’t buy a goal. Thankfully a little digging into his background helps explain the big improvement and this is an off the field strength that isn’t always seen. He done a video with one of the head of analysis at Motherwell (Rosco) that was releases on Youtube where they talked about how they looked at strikers that have a similar framework to Bair like Benjamin Sesko (RB Leipzig) and Victor Boniface (Bayer Leverkusen). Bair is honest and admits he needs to learn to become a good goal scorer and tries to learn from watching players he likes and uses visualization, which is something one of his heroes Thierry Henry recently said was one of the most valuable skills he had to prepare for situations in games.
Personally, I’m a huge fan of any player who wants to take their skillset up a level and so it’s nice to be able to say that in this instance I can see Bair is a student of the game as well as a player and he is reaping the rewards from that this season. I think it also sends a really positive message to supporters because it’s giving them that extra little insight. Some clubs can be a little scared of that but personally I like it.
I also have to give him and his partner in crime credit for forming a good partnership. Motherwell relied heavily on the goals of Van Veen in previous years and for Bair and Blair Spittal to pick up the slack after Van Veen left and produce some good numbers has been invaluable to The Steelmen.
Bair will without doubt use the work with the analysts to work on the weaker elements of his game and those for me are his final passes in the final third and his aerial threat in the final third. He is such a big powerful guy who gets into good areas and if he can clam down a little in the way Shankland has and see the picture around him in the final third then his threat level increases significantly. Same goes for his aerial presence in the opposition box. He has the pace and power that suggests that if he gets a run on someone then he becomes difficult to stop. If it was me I’d advise working on his timing, route running from set plays and his heading as I think that could pay big dividends for him. Ideally for a guy of his size Motherwell would do well to create a set play that gives him a chance to burst and get across the front post so any decent contact either results in an effort on target or a chance for players following up at the back post.
Highlight: Motherwell vs Livingston (30th Dec 2023)
10 seconds (Good positioning /Awful Shot) – At the very least should hit the target but what I credit him with here is holding his space. Poor strikers have a tendency to end up next to a defender in those situations, aware strikers let the defenders go running towards their own goal while they pick a space to be available for any ball that might be played into the box.
25 seconds (Assist) – Again I credit Bair with recognising where he can position himself here as Spittal goes to press. The Livi defence are in a broken line and above the player on the ball so Bair can steal a yard and not be offside if the press pays out. It doesn’t for Spittal, but the 2nd phase of pressure pays out for Bierith and the neat footwork and very subtle pass from Bair to Spittal results in a tap-in. I admit on seeing this I questioned whether it was a pass but on review it was nicely executed in a small space.
1 minute and 4 seconds (Goal) – This is what Bair does best. He’s positioned well on the blind side of the near side central defender who to his credit does check his shoulder but I’m not convinced he sees Bair because he doesn’t react like a defender who knows a very quick striker is going in behind him and number 6 just watches it happen, but from an attackers point of view it’s a good run and Bair does really well to sneak a touch on it to beat the goalie before he blocks it.
2 minutes 4 seconds (Goal) – Another example good example of Bair understanding where the space is. Positioning himself in the area the fullback has left and giving Bierith an easy target to play into. In my mind Bair has decided what he is doing before he gets to the 18 yard box because he slows down enough to allow for the execution of the nice little chop to leave the defender sliding into next week and the finish is that of a confident bloke, St.Johnstone fans must have been wondering if the guy they had was an imposter.
Statistical Data:
This section I have to be a clear about. I like data analysis and I think aligned with some good live or video scouting it is a great help to see if what the eye test shows is backed up by data, if not then you need to try and understand what has been missed. So I’m not saying this tells you who the best player is when you compare them. With all 3 players you need consider circumstances like the team they play in and how that team is doing and it’s style of play amongst many other things.
If you use data first then for me data can help narrow down player pools but personally I still believe that the eye test is a must so you can see how players react in different situations in different types of games and see the bigger picture especially with things like communication and off the ball movements.
Base Information (Season 23/24): Shankland topping the goalscoring charts in the Premiership to date. Goals and assists combined over all competitions sees him on 33 direct contributions. Really impressive work this season and hopefully he can carry that form into the European Championships this summer
Defensive Duties & Duels: All 3 doing some work for the team on the defensive side
Base Passing: This for me is where Shankland has upped his game and it shows with the volume of passes per 90 and more importantly lateral and forward passes per 90
Key Passing: As in the base passing this is more evidence of where I think Shanklands game has improved, but also where Bair needs to put some work in and that Miovski needs more link options or for Duk to find the from he showed in 22/23.
The Main Bit – Attacking: In this area I think all 3 can be proud of their efforts when you look at the teams they are playing in. I am really impressed by the shots to goal conversion for Bair and his on target number. I was surprised at Shankland having almost 2x as many dribbles per 90 than Miovski.
Set Pieces: Not much to see here but Miovski is clearly ahead in the conversion percentage
Heat Maps:
Shankland: The heat map is a clear indicator that Shankland is acting getting involved in more areas of the pitch than his goaslcoring number 9 stereotype suggests with a preference to play slightly right of centre which potentially opens up more space for a fast player like Forrest or Vargas on the left side.
Miovski: Like Shankland there is a positional element that shows Miovski is playing slightly right of centre and then looks to get himself in and around the penalty spot as much as possible.
Bair: This one surprised me a little because I’ve seen so many highlights of Bair coming in off the right side to good effect, but his heat map shows he is following in his hero Thierry Henrys footsteps and looking to drift to the left. Next season given he’s shown good accuracy with his shots I would be looking for this heat map to be a bit hotter in and around the box.
The Future of the 3:
All 3 strikers will see their names on the BBC Scottish Football Gossip Page and various back pages over the coming weeks and months. In the case of Shankland and Miovski it’s been on-going for months already with links to Celtic and Rangers for both players and numerous Championship and European teams also being mentioned as having interest in Miovski.
Bair has just got back into the Canadian National Team and ultimately when teams start breaking down the data for this season I’ll be amazed if he’s not featured on a few lists, it may well be that Hearts or Aberdeen might look towards him if they sell and free up the number 9 shirt.
There is 1 key question for the respective clubs and players to ask themselves:
Clubs
Is the club ready to lose a huge chunk of its goal threat as shown at the beginning with the percentages of goal involvements and what value do they put on it?
Hearts with Shankland are far more likely to make Europe with him at 9 than anyone else on their books and that is a potential 5 million pound+ windfall every time you get in. With this season about to end that’s one windfall on the way and if they keep him and let him run down his contract they potentially have another chance at that again next season. On the flipside if the player pushes to leave then you are forced to make a call and at this level the call will 99% of the time result in the player leaving.
Aberdeen are next season will be looking to push Hearts for a European spot but with no European football and a new manager coming who may wish to revamp the squad can they afford not to sell Miovski, or will the new manager place him in a position where he is the key piece and potentially increase his value.
Motherwell are losing Spital to Hearts who has been as big a part of the attack this season as Bair, but another season like this and a contract ending next summer means they are also at decision time if a decent offer comes.
It is absolutely vital that all 3 clubs have a clear picture in mind of how they replace each player and that should be a constant piece of work with scouts and coaches understanding what they have in the club and what they might want to look for in the transfer market, whether it’s pinning hopes on another player who they hope will hit double figures or setting up with a new attacking idea that will see the lost goals made up by 3 or 4 players.
In my opinion both Hearts and Aberdeen should be looking at 4 to 5mil with some very achievable add-ons as starter figure if they are taking offers into consideration. Contract length and player happiness are factors but these players are the best they have, and have been the biggest contributors over the past 2 years so anything less would be an insult in my opinion.
An example based upon the most obvious move that is being touted is Shankland to Rangers….
The structure I would be pushing for from Hearts end would be a minimum of 4mil in guaranteed cash with add-ons based on goals scored, trophies won and in turn Champions League qualification which is now a 60 million pound gain before a ball is kicked in the group stage.
Given that many deals aren’t paid instantly a structure of something like this is what I would push for:
- 4mil paid over 12 months (First 2mil upfront followed by 500k every 3 months until the balance is paid).
- Player hits 20 league goals – 200k with another 75k for every 10 goals after for the season 23/24
- Player participates in 70% or more of qualifying games and team wins division title – 300k
- Player participates in 70% or more of league games and team qualifies for Champions League Group Stage the following season – 600k to be paid by end of each participating season over the length of the players contract. Some people will look at this figure and laugh but it’s only 1% based on minimum guaranteed income from the Champions League money per season. So in this case if a player signs a 5 year deal and the buying club makes the CL group stages 5 times in those 5 years with player criteria met then the selling club makes 3 million in add-ons.
The reason I’d advocate for this sort of deal for all 3 players, and any player who is vital to their team in Scotland (fees would vary) is because the gulf between domestic payments and Europe is so huge now that this is the best route for teams like Aberdeen, Hearts, Motherwell and the rest to get a better piece of that pie is to follow a method like this. In turn I would hope they would invest it to improve their own chances of being on the European stage more often and also hopefully improve the league as a whole.
The same would apply for players being sold to the EPL or Serie A but obviously the add-on payments may differ depending on the buying clubs standing and expectations.
The other factor is that these clubs in selling these players run the risk of not making Europe and that in turn can cost them millions of pounds in revenue so it also has to be a consideration given the output they are getting from these 3 strikers or from any key player.
PLAYERS
What club would suit the player both on and off the pitch?
Shankland – He’s looking at a shot at what will be by far and away the biggest contract of his career and is in his peak years. He has a young family so location I’d expect to be a factor especially having publicly said he missed them and struggled without them when he initially moved to Belgium. So a move within the UK seems a safer bet.
The obvious or most touted club are Rangers, a club he apparently supported as a boy so that as move may appeal to him, but with heavy competition and heavy expectations in the gold fish bowl that comes with it is something that has to be considered for any player.
The alternative that is now in many cases financially as good, or better is the Championship in England, especially if you get a club who has a solid chance of promotion to the EPL.
Given the improvements he’s made over the last 18 months or so I think Shankland could do a solid job for any club in Scotland or at the high end of the Championship team. I wouldn’t even bet against him going to a club like Everton and doing more than the 30mil pound Beto because given the chance in the box he will score goals and while some will say he lacks pace. I recall plenty of EPL teams not pulling the trigger on Jarrdd Bowen who is a wide player because he lacked pace, but if you are quick in the small spaces and have a brain then you can be successful, even in the EPL.
Miovski – To my knowledge not married and no children (has a girlfriend who lives abroad) so location doesn’t seem to be a major issue and he’s moved about it bit already.
He needs a team who are going to play on the front foot. He’s great at breaking lines and can play in a team who counter but that period where Aberdeen were at their best last season showed the higher up the pitch they played the bigger the threat he became.
At 24, going on 25 the biggest thing for him now is to ensure the team he goes to are going to value him as a starter or all the good work he’s done building up his skillset and reputation at Aberdeen can quickly be lost.
The link to Celtic is one I understand but given Brendan Rodgers seems to prefer a striker who will play more centrally with pace down the sides then in some ways you run the risk of losing what Miovski does best by drifting out to the right, so if I was Miovski and that was chance came calling my first question to any club would be is how do you see my playstyle working in the setup you play?
Bair – Another player who doesn’t appear to have any clear family ties bar a girlfriend. If I was his advisor I’d be telling him to stay at Motherwell, or at the very least stay in Scotland for at least another year. If a team like Aberdeen or Hearts came calling and needed a new number 9 then that sort of step up to a team that is playing at the same level, but carries more expectation would be a good option but as above I loved seeing the relationship he had and what how fast he’s developed and improved at Motherwell this season.
Like Miovski he’s found a place where he’s created a platform for himself after years of being fairly anonymous. The next move needs to be a measured one, a place where he goes and feels that he’s going to get the kind of trust and love that Motherwell have given him and to a club who will embrace his willingness to learn because as I’ve quickly learned some clubs seem stuck in the mindset that you focus on what they want from you and don’t allow much room for self-expression and I suspect Bair has been in that situation and doesn’t want to go back to it.
Final Thoughts:
I hope by the end of this you are A. Still awake and B. have got a feeling for the pleasure I’ve had of looking at what all 3 of these players have produced this season as individuals.
All 3 have ability to play above the level they are currently at and that is with no disrespect to their current clubs. If anything I give all 3 clubs huge credit for helping to create better versions of the player who first walked through their doors and long may it continue because Scottish football needs as many good players as it can get.
Last but not least the end of season is coming in fast so we’ll no doubt find out quickly what the next chapter for all 3 players looks like soon enough. I do hope each club holds their ground with their valuations when the bids start coming. Teams up here in Scotland are getting better at fighting for better fees for their better players. In all 3 cases here the clubs should demand big fees because in the markets now you’ll see worse players go for a lot more than what some teams will offer for these 3, and when selling any player who is carrying good form to teams outside of Scotland our teams would do well to remind the rest of one key thing. While the standard might not be that of the EPL it takes a player who can cope with a fast paced and at times an expectant and tough environment to stand out in Scotland. Those things have a value too and are transferable assets to any league in the world.
Thank you for reading and as always if you have enjoyed this please feel free to comment on here or on the socials and please feel free to share.
RH