Hull City is the most logical destination for 28-goal striker this summer: View | OneFootball

Hull City will need to sign a new striker in the summer, and Hearts' forward Lawrence Shankland could be the ideal signing for the Tigers.

The club will be losing a number of forwards at the end of the season, with contracts and loan deals expiring.

Strikers Aaron Connolly and Billy Sharp have their deals running out at the end of June, with no reports of them signing an extension at the MKM Stadium.

This is in addition to the loans of attacking players like Liam Delap and Fabio Carvalho running out in the summer, with the latter's future surely lying in the top-flight.

Their impressive performances will have given their parent clubs food for thought, and they could be either given chances in the first team at Manchester City or Liverpool, respectively, or sold for a hefty fee.

With the club desperate for firepower after an impressive seventh place finish in the Championship, they should look towards one Scottish Premier League star as a transfer target in the summer.

Shankland has been linked with a Championship summer move

Hearts' striker Shankland has been linked with a move to the Championship in the summer, with a number of clubs interested in his services.

Rangers were reportedly quoted a fee in excess of £4.5 million in January for the forward, which could now be even higher given his performances in the second half of the season.

HITC also reported that EFL clubs like Southampton, Hull City and Middlesbrough were also interested in signing the Hearts captain.

Hearts boss Steven Naismith noted that the club could be open to selling the PFA Scotland Player of the Year, given that he is on the final year of his contract with the Edinburgh club.

They will need to sell him this year, or risk losing him on a free transfer next season, with some big clubs circling for his signature.

Hull would be the ideal destination for Shankland

Given his performances last season and the situation regarding Hull's forward line, Shankland would be an ideal replacement for the club's existing strike force.

His 21 goals in the league put him at the top of the SPL scoring charts, four ahead of his nearest rival. This also included five assists, with the striker achieving 0.62 goals per 90 minutes for the Scottish side. He has scored more than any Hull player this season, with Jaden Philogene their highest scorer with 12 league goals.

Current strikers Connolly and Delap netted 16 goals between them, with just two assists to add to that. If he can replicate his form at Hearts, Shankland can replace both men with his output at the MKM Stadium.

Shankland has impressed not just with his goal-scoring abilities, according to Fotmob. He had more successful passes than any striker in the league, showing how involved he is in the match. His long balls, chances created and touches are also among the top of the forwards in the league, showing that he is not just a player who will stand up front and wait for the ball to played to him.

The challenge for Shankland will be converting these positive numbers into a more competitive level like the Championship.

Hull seems the most likely place for Shankland to get consistent game time, and be the main man up front. This should be the best way to get him scoring, with other clubs like Southampton already having forwards that will be above him in the pecking order.

However, one thing to note about the move is the current managerial situation at Hull. Boss Liam Rosenior was recently sacked, despite a seventh place finish in the table. Despite scoring so many goals this year, it is unknown whether Shankland will fit the way the club want to play going forward with a new manager.

The lack of a manager could also affect the club buying players early on in the window. Changes backstage could give other clubs the chance to get in front of the Tigers, and sign the striker before they have a chance to get their ducks in a row.

One thing is for certain, though, with Shankland already linked to so many clubs, Hull will likely have to move fast if they want to secure the Scot's signature.