The situation with Ianis Hagi at Rangers continues to perplex the Ibrox support.
The Romanian international – who is only 25-years-old – continues to be picked at international level but finds himself languishing in the Ibrox reserves.
Despite pushing for a move out of Ibrox last season, Ianis Hagi has changed his tune this time around after failing to negotiate an exit out of Rangers this summer.
At the same time, Philippe Clement has been rather insistent that he does not see a future for Hagi at Ibrox.
But after the transfer window closed, the recurring image of Hagi starring for the Rangers B team has seen increasing calls from within the Ibrox support to see the Romanian reinstated.
Rangers fans call for Ianis Hagi to be resintated
The inclusion of Ianis Hagi as the Rangers B team faced Huddersfield turned heads amongst Gers fans.
The Romanian was once again selected alongside several academy talents for a bounce match at the Ibrox club’s training centre.
And it was Hagi who stole the show at Auchenhowie too, netting a deadly double to flip the match on its head and win the bounce game 3-2 in injury time.
With one of the goals a stunning free kick effort, Hagi had also set up Findlay Curtis to open the scoring.
It’s that sort of contribution and commitment which has got Rangers fans talking as the calls to see Hagi brought back into the first-team fold get louder.
One supporter described the treatment of Hagi as ‘sickening’ and referred to the Romanian’s commitment at Rangers in the face of others, such as Todd Cantwell, ‘throwing their toys out the pram’.
The Ibrox fan ended his message by claiming the entire situation ‘is a mess’.
Another fan claims the situation with Hagi has been ‘very poorly handled’ by Rangers and urged all parties to come together to ‘find a solution’.
Others have heavily criticised the situation as the Rangers support rails against the treatment of the midfielder.
More than meets the eye with Ianis Hagi at Ibrox
Whilst Rangers fans almost universally want the situation with Ianis Hagi to be resolved, it’s clear there is something deeper afoot at Ibrox.
Philippe Clement has even said that reinstating Hagi is also not just down to him.
Reports earlier in the summer had claimed that playing one more match for Rangers – Hagi currently on 99 appearances – would trigger a pay rise in the Romanian’s new contract.
But unless that pay rise is substantially more significant than would ordinarily be expected, then it seems unlikely Rangers would be blocking such a pathway.
Instead, given Rangers signed Hagi on a structured deal worth £3m in total from KRC Genk in 2020, perhaps the club would have to front a more substantial add-on should the midfielder reach 100.
With Hagi having previously said his goodbyes at Rangers, a disappointing loan stint at Alavés took the midfielder back to Ibrox.
All parties also pointed to a summer exit but as the window rolled to a close, suddenly Hagi changed his tune publicly with the options on the table perhaps not to the Romanian’s liking.
It’s also possible that Philippe Clement – who has Tom Lawrence and Nedim Bajrami competing in the ‘number ten’ slot – just doesn’t fancy the Euro 2024 star.
Whatever the case there is certainly more than meets the eye with regards Ianis Hagi’s situation at Ibrox.
As for the player himself, you cannot fault the commitment, attitude and effort on show ever since Hagi returned to Rangers in the summer.
