Over the course of the last 12 months or so, rarely has one player sparked so many debates over in Scotland as Rangers playmaker Ianis Hagi.
Was Philippe Clement right to freeze him out of Rangers’ first-team during the opening weeks of the 2024/25 campaign? Michael Stewart certainly doesn’t think so.
Should the Premiership giants now reward Ianis Hagi’s stunning return to prominence with a new contract?
And if they do extend his deal before striking while the iron is scalding and cash in on the Romania international – Clement confirms Hagi will be a free-agent in July as things stand – how much profit could Rangers stand to make?
Well, in the view of Giovanni Becali, the playmaker could potentially depart Ibrox for twice the fee he arrived for back in 2020.
Ianis Hagi was heavily linked with a move to Genoa before the transfer window closed on Monday.
And while the £3 million acquisition from KRC Genk clarified the uncertainty surrounding his relationship with Becali back in September – he is not, as some have claimed, Hagi’s agent – a man very-well connected in the Romanian game still has his fair share of contacts.
Rangers tipped to make £6m if Ianis Hagi leaves Ibrox
“I believe in the Ianis Hagi option at Genoa. I think Genoa wants him,” Becali tells Fanatik. “[I predict] Rangers will ask for a lot, around 7 million euros.”
Interestingly, those Genoa links were sparked by a takeover at the Serie A outfit by Romanian businessman Dan Sucu.
Sucu was desperate to bring Hagi to Rapid Bucharest in the summer of 2024, and it appears that very same player is sitting near the top of his Genoa wishlist too.
Having played only twice during his forgettable stint at Fiorentina, the Rossoblue bosses will be hoping that Hagi was left with a feeling of unfinished business when he was ushered out of Florence via the back door seven years ago.
“Ianis Hagi knows Italian football. He speaks Italian well. I believe in this possibility,” Becali adds. “It would be a coup [but] let him stay where he is now.”
With Rangers winning 75 per cent of their Premiership matches since Hagi’s made his first start of the campaign at the start of December – they also score 2.6 goals per game with him compared to 1.7 without him – the statistics speak for themselves.
Would Rangers have slipped so far behind Old Firm rivals Celtic in the Premiership title fight if not for a contract wrangle which kept Hagi out of Clement’s plans for so long?
Kris Boyd lauds Ianis Hagi comeback as Philippe Clement talks up new contract
“You have got to give Ianis Hagi enormous credit,” former Rangers striker Kris Boyd said after the 26-year-old hit a brace during Sunday’s 4-0 thrashing of Ross County.
“It would have been quite easy for him to down tools and switch off and see his contract out. He might well move on [in the summer], but he’s going to get himself a better more than he would have a few months ago if he does move on because he’s turned up.
“He’s worked ever so hard to make the impact he has.”
Clement, performing a U-turn that would even leave Lewis Hamilton with a nasty case of whiplash, also admitted a few weeks ago that he is now keen to see Hagi commit his long-term future to the club.
“Ianis will be at the end of his contract in May, so there will be negotiations around that,” Clement says. “I don’t have a clue what numbers he has in mind or the club. That’s a discussion between them.
“Of course, I’m happy with how he’s been performing. There was the situation when the season started that was out of my hands. And I’m happy with the discussions in the club, that everybody was willing -from his side and from Rangers’ side – to come together and find a solution.
“It’s been beneficial for the team, clearly.”
