Part of Rangers player trading model will be knowing when to sell players at the right moment so that Philippe Clement can get the funds he needs to rebuild the team properly.
The manager had an eventful summer in which he was left with a squad that still needed a lot of work, missing out on Champions League football only slowed his progress.
One player he was glad to see back for Rangers was Ianis Hagi after the playmaker’s contract dispute was settled, however, his next destination appears to have been decided for him already.
Ianis Hagi tipped to leave Rangers and return to Turkey
Hagi has just celebrated his 26th birthday and, as such, should be at his peak and playing on the biggest stage possible.
As a youngster, he failed to make the grade at Fiorentina and also struggled on loan at Deportivo Alaves last season.
The likelihood of another club coming in from a top five league is slim as a result.
Speaking to Golazo, former Romania manager Dumitru Dumitriu was asked if Turkey was Hagi’s most likely next port of call in a wide travelled career, to which he replied:
“Yes, sure. Ianis no longer has to prove anything. He must be in full strength and be trusted.
“When that happens, then he can play for any team in Europe. Not at the world’s top ones, Manchester City, Real Madrid, but at those in, let’s say, the second category, they play without problems.
“Sure, the expectations will be higher in Turkey, because people will compare him to his father, but he will manage.”
Is Jose Mourinho a fan of Ianis Hagi?
With such a famous name and such a famous dad, the former Golden Boy nominee has always had an impressive following.
Living up to Gheorghe’s reputation as one of Europe’s finest ever No.10s was never going to be easy, but he has had a fine career on his own merit.
Speaking in 2020, before Rangers sealed the permanent move for Hagi, Giovani Becali claimed that the special one had enquired about the Romania international:
“I have been asked personally by Jose Mourinho (then of Spurs) and Txiki Begiristain (Man City’s then director of football) about Ianis Hagi,” Becali was reported by The Daily Record as saying.
“They wanted to know about him and how he was getting on. There’s a lot of top people in European football who know all about Ianis and what he can do.”
Maybe, Mourinho is still a fan.
