Southampton and Leicester snub explained as Golden Boot-winning striker says offers ‘weren’t right’

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After approaches from four of the pre-season Championship favourites – Ipswich Town, Southampton, Leicester City and West Brom – few imagined that this is how the transfer saga would end.

EFL Analysis understands, via football correspondent Graeme Bailey, that a quartet of clubs with a Premier League return firmly in their sights had made their interest known.

This was, after all, a striker with 215 goals in 461 career matches. No wonder he was in such high demand.

Ipswich and Southampton entered the race shortly after their relegation from the top-flight was confirmed in the spring. West Brom were in contention as well, for a time.

And Leicester City, during another tricky summer in which financial wriggleroom is at a premium, were understandably attracted by the idea of a free-agent centre-forward with such a prolific track record, albeit on the other side of Hadrian’s Wall.

Much to the relief of Scottish Premiership stalwarts Heart of Midlothian, however, Lawrence Shankland has snubbed a fresh start in England. Instead, the talismanic captain signs a new three-year deal at Tynecastle.

Thus, committing what could be the prime years of his career to a club with whom he has claimed both the Scottish Premiership Player of the Year award as well as the division’s Golden Boot.

Southampton and Leicester City miss out as Lawrence Shankland explains Hearts stay

The 2024/25 season was a bit of a fallow year for Lawrence Shankland.

But, scoring 31 and 28 in those previous two campaigns, retaining his services feels like a major coup for those Edinburgh employers.

Shankland will be 32 when his new deal ends. Meaning the Scotland international appears to have turned his back on what could be his final shot at the English game.

“At the end of last season, I ran my contract to its end so I knew the situation I was in,” Shankland tells reporters, explaining a decision made firmly with his family at the forefront.

“I took a couple of weeks holiday to get married and after that I gave it a month to think about things and weigh up options and had a couple that popped up. The way it worked out, the family side of things meant they just weren’t right for me.

“In the mean time, I’d been speaking to the manager [Derek McInnes] about coming back here and I’d always left the door open. I couldn’t seem to close the door behind me and that gave an indication of where my head might have been at.

“After speaking to the family and where they want to be – especially my four-year-old Eva, who’s in love with Jock the Jambo [the Hearts mascot] – it was back here.

“So I’m happy with my decision and just looking forward to getting started again.”

West Brom remain in striker chase with Jacques Siwe an option

The aforementioned Championship quartet will, therefore, see their pursuit of a new centre-forward drag on into July.

Southampton are reportedly offering £7 million for Damion Downs of Cologne. The USA international, who plays under former Saints boss Mauricio Pochettino on the international stage, fired the Cathedral City outfit to promotion last time out.

West Brom have been linked with Jacques Siwe, though the collapse of Vivaldo Semedo’s move to Watford could complicate matters.

Guingamp’s £2.5 million-rated talisman is reportedly on Watford’s radar too. The Hornets were expected to sign Vivaldo from Udinese, only to see French giants Lille step in at the eleventh hour.

New Hearts boss McInnes is understandably delighted to learn that he will have Shankland at his disposal, meanwhile. Talks with the former Kilmarnock coach helped convince the one-time Dundee United hero, with interest from Turkey and the Middle East also rebuffed.

“EFL Analysis can confirm that West Brom, Ipswich, Southampton, and Leicester all made approaches,” Bailey reported after news of Hearts’ ‘breakthrough’ emerged on Wednesday. “But he is turning his back on that chance.

“There were offers in Turkey and Saudi Arabia, too. This is a real coup for Hearts and manager Derek McInnes to persuade him to stay.”