Rangers star Ianis Hagi has probably endured one of the most hectic seasons of his professional career.
Entering into the final two years of his contract last summer, Hagi was told by Philippe Clement that he had no future at Ibrox – how ironic that turned out to be.
Hagi was subsequently exiled from the first-team squad and sent to play matches with Rangers B across July and August.
The situation revolved around an issue with his contract that stipulated if Hagi played another competitive game for Rangers, he would be due a wage rise.
He did not find a new club after the end of the summer transfer window, but the impasse was finally cleared in October.
Ever since being reintroduced to the Rangers first-team, he’s been a key player with 10 goal involvements in 18 Premiership appearances so far this term.
Hagi was insistent last summer that he wanted to fight on at Rangers despite his contract situation – and it appears his intention to stay remains the same.
Gheorge Popescu thinks Hagi wants to stay at Rangers
Former Barcelona captain Gheorge Popescu – a close friend and former teammate of Hagi’s father Gheorge – has told sportpesure that he’d be surprised if Hagi wanted to leave Glasgow.
Hagi was linked with Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce last summer, with Galatasaray also credited with an interest. How substantial those links were remain unknown.
Even Popescu has no idea if both sides’ alleged interest in Hagi remain – all he knows is that it would be difficult to see Hagi leaving Rangers this summer with a year left on his Ibrox deal.
Popescu said: “I don’t know if it’s true or not (no interest from Fenerbahce). What I can say is that I know from Ianis that he is happy at Rangers, he has started playing and is appreciated.
“I don’t know about his intention to leave there, whether it’s Fenerbahce, Galatasaray or any other club.
“I don’t know that Ianis would want to leave Glasgow. It would be something that would be hard to imagine (him joining Fenerbahce).
“Gică (his father) is considered the best foreigner to have played in the Turkish championship and I know how much he loves Galatasaray.
“It would be a strange thing, but they are two entities and are different. Gică is Gică and Ianis is Ianis, each with his own career. I repeat, I do not know of Fenerbahce’s interest in Ianis Hagi.”
Rangers face Fenerbahce in the Europa League
Will Hagi be coming up against his future club on Thursday evening as Rangers travel to Turkey to take on Fenerbahce in the Europa League?
It will be Barry Ferguson’s first European game in charge of Rangers as he looks to continue to good work done by the sacked Clement.
Chief executive Patrick Stewart effectively confirmed that the only reason Clement was being kept in the Rangers hotseat was because of the club’s progression to the last 16 of the Europa League.
But consecutive Ibrox defeats against Queen’s Park and St Mirren were too much to bear and the Belgian simply had to go.
Hagi was left out of the original Europa League squad at the start of the season, but was included for the knockout rounds with UEFA allowing three swaps.
