Rangers take on Fenerbahce for only the second time in their history with a chequered past in terms of dealing with teams from Turkey.
It was the Europa League draw that looked the toughest on paper, however, there is one member of the Rangers squad who is more than happy to head to Europe’s eastern border.
Born in Istanbul whilst his legendary dad Gheorghe was strutting his stuff for Galatasaray, Ianis Hagi is back in the country where he first grew up and where the Rangers playmaker has been endlessly linked with a transfer.
Ianis Hagi opens up on Rangers exit and Turkey return
Hagi has been a key figure since resolving his contract issue but there are still doubts about his future at Rangers.
In January, Hagi was linked with a return home, however, for now, there is only one thing he is focussed on:
“I have many good memories, and I will enjoy being back in Turkey for the match tomorrow.
“It is special for me to play in Istanbul, it means so much to my family and I.
“Out of respect to everyone, the club and my agents have to talk about my future. For me, right now, and this is really an honest answer, I don’t really think about the future.
“For me, it’s just about what I can do today and tomorrow to get ready for the game and from that point on what I can do to get ready for the next game and the one after that. I take it step by step.
“You guys probably know my agents so they will probably talk about my situation.”
Should Rangers make Ianis Hagi a top earner?
On a reported £21,000 per week, via Salary Sport, the 26-year old is far from being one of the highest earners at Rangers with Cyriel Dessers, Jack Butland and James Tavernier all on or around the £30,000 per week mark as a basic salary.
With 10 goal contributions in 19 league appearances, the numbers are there to justify a new contract and there is an argument that these numbers would have been even better if he had enjoyed a proper pre-season and not had to wait to return to the first-team.
What Hagi also offers is flexibility, capable of playing on either wing, at No.10 or No.8, the mercurial midfielder can be a difference maker even if he is having a bad game.
The Romania international also loves Rangers with a passion and appreciates the opportunity that he has, a quality that is hard to find in the modern game.
