As one door closes in Rangers’ pursuit of Bayern loanee Malik Tillman, another opens for the returning Ianis Hagi who has a point to prove after a devastating injury lay off.
News broke this week that Malik Tillman will not be joining Rangers permanently, the attacking midfielder having spent last season on loan at Ibrox and impressing despite his tender years of 20.
Scoring 12 goals for the Gers, the midfielder picked up the PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year gong and Rangers were clear they wanted to make a deal permanent.
But as things transpired Rangers have seen their seemingly exclusive option-to-buy ripped up by the German club, who’ve paid £1m in compensation and given the Gers 10% of the player’s next transfer.
Amid interest from the Premier League, it could mean Rangers get as much as £2m all in for a player that was never technically their’s and perhaps someone at Ibrox owes Ross Wilson a pint for negotiating a deal.
But none of this is any use for supporters who’ve seen one of the club’s biggest threats now leave Ibrox, alongside Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos, and yet to be replaced.
Ianis Hagi can replace Malik Tillman Rangers influence
That Rangers would’ve had to splash out a reported £5.8m to make the fee permanent represents a sizeable boost to the club’s transfer coffers, but the Gers won’t have to look too far for a readymade replacement.
Had Ianis Hagi been fit last season, the Romanian attacking midfielder might’ve actually been a roadblock to Malik Tillman getting the sort of minutes he did during his loan spell.
After all, the former KRC Genk playmaker is Rangers’ player and – had a devastating cruciate ligament injury not savaged a year of his career – would’ve been in the final year of his contract.
Rangers instead nurtured Ianis Hagi back to fitness towards the end of last season, culminating in a decidedly rusty attacking midfielder scoring in the 3-1 end of season win over Hibs at Easter Road.
The player’s emotional reaction would’ve been encouraging to supporters and as Rangers look to replace the goalscoring and creative influence of Malik Tillman, Ianis Hagi poses an interesting and sometimes forgotten alternative.
Prior to that heartbreaking injury, the Romanian was a key player for Rangers and with a full pre-season under his belt, the 24-year-old can very much fill the void in the Ibrox side and have the Gers support asking, Malik who?
