As mounting injuries further heap the pressure on Michael Beale, the Rangers manager must be rethinking the decision to let Ianis Hagi head to Alavés on loan.
In the midst of a summer rebuild the role of the Romanian playmaker – who is still only 24 – was somewhat understated off the back of a devastating injury.
Prior to wrecking his cruciate ligament back in January 2022, and subsequently spending a year on the sidelines, Ianis Hagi was a key player for Rangers.
The attacking midfielder might’ve lacked the pace and directness on the ball which makes players in his position world beaters but there was enough talent, and big moments, to retain major hopes around the ex-Genk playmaker.
But a move to Alavés has all but ended Ianis Hagi’s Rangers career with the transfer out of the club looking to be a loan one in name only.
Michael Beale could rue sending Ianis Hagi to Alavés
Whilst there is no option-to-buy in the deal, Rangers and Ianis Hagi both looked to say their permanent goodbyes when the midfielder moved to Alavés and La Liga from the parochial echo chamber of Scottish football.
But with Rangers now losing four current first-team midfielders to injury – Nicolas Raskin, Todd Cantwell, Kieran Dowell and Tom Lawrence all currently crocked – the decision to let the midfielder leave on loan looks a continuing head-scratcher.
Signed for a reported fee of £3m back in the summer of 2020, six months on from when he impressed on an initial loan move, Rangers signed a player once considered amongst European football’s brightest talents.
The son of Romanian legend Gheorghe, everything was there for Ianis Hagi to take centre-stage in Glasgow and up until that devastating injury there were signs he might do just that.
Things went sour for Ianis Hagi at Rangers when the attacking midfielder went public with his gripes over a lack of playing time before being left out of the Champions League squad.
Call it inexperience, but given the talent of Ianis Hagi and the fact this Alavés loan move does little to benefit Rangers, on reflection it’s a moment Michael Beale could’ve handled much better.
With Rangers already losing Ryan Kent, Alfredo Morelos, Scott Arfield, Malik Tillman, Antonio Colak and Fashion Sakala from the side it’s a decision bordering on lunacy.
Now talking about throwing young Bailey Rice into the deep end the cracks in Michael Beale’s squad are almost certainly beginning to show.
Berating a lack of attacking options when pressed on his side’s stuttering performance against Motherwell, it’s hard to feel sorry for Michael Beale when he let some big players walk out the door.
As Ianis Hagi finds his feet at Alavés, and a patchwork Rangers stumble from one domestic match to another, perhaps in the case of a Romanian its a decision which could cost him his job.
