As Ianis Hagi heads to Alaves on loan, reports of the fees involved and a Maccabi Haifa hijacking attempt point to a potential Rangers return.
The Gers have confirmed that the Romanian international attacking midfielder, 24, will head out on a season-long loan with the La Liga side.
In the confirmation message, Rangers gave little away with regards the long-term plans for Ianis Hagi who moves to Alaves after as substantial time out of the game.
A devastating ACL injury has threatened to derail the midfielder’s career and as he looks to get back on track playing regular football is obviously key.
But the latest comments from one leading journalist suggest that whilst Ianis Hagi will spend the season on loan at Alaves, he may well not be done yet at Rangers.
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Jordan Campbell of the Athletic claims that whilst Rangers have agreed to let the player leave on loan, there is no fee attached to the deal and no future option-to-buy.
Couple this with reports in Turkey – an albeit unreliable source at the best of times – that Maccabi Haifa tried to hijack a deal then the situation is very interesting.
According to Fanatik, the Israeli side had £2.5m permanent interest in Ianis Hagi and if this is true the fact Rangers haven’t taken a penny to send the ex-Genk star to Alaves speaks volumes.
It’s also worth noting that Michael Beale knocked back talk of Israeli interest over the weekend.
As Ianis Hagi looks to get his career back on track, a move to Spain appears to be a solid option, but from a Rangers point of view there is freedom attached to the deal.
Should Ianis Hagi go on to steal the show at Alaves, Rangers hold all the aces with the attacking midfielder only just signing a new contract last season.
With a year of football under his belt, and the attacking midfielder back to his best, the door isn’t exactly closed for him making a surprise return next season either.