da luck： Glasgow Rangers announced their Champions League squad for the playoff round ties against PSV Eindhoven and there was a notable omission.
da heads bet： Ianis Hagi missed out alongside Ridvan Yilmaz and he shared his frustration about a lack of playing time in a post-match press conference following the Morton tie on the weekend, saying:
"Look, I think every football player wants to play. I am obviously disappointed about the situation that I am [in]. But I respect the gaffers’ decisions.
"That doesn’t mean that I agree with them, but I respect them. He is the football manager of this football club. You know, I am a simple guy and I just love football.”
Light Blues boss Michael Beale reacted to his and claimed that Hagi could perhaps leave Ibrox.
He said:
“No issues with Ianis. He wants to play as a starter and we might look at that before the window closes.”
Does Ianis Hagi have a future at Rangers?
Judging by Beale’s comments, it appears as though the supporters may have seen the Romanian in a Rangers' jersey for the last time.
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Beale has brought in Sam Lammers, who can play across the front three, while Todd Cantwell has been performing superbly and Tom Lawrence isn’t far away from returning to first team action.
This is a lot of competition for places and the player is still clearly adjusting back to full fitness following a serious knee injury in January 2022 which ruled him out for a year.
Will Ianis Hagi be a loss for Rangers?
Since joining the club in January 2020, Hagi has registered 37 goal contributions – 16 goals and 21 assists – across 98 matches, and he was an integral part of the side which won the 2020/21 Premiership crown.
During that campaign, the 24-year-old grabbed seven goals and 11 assists while also showcasing his creative talents, creating six big chances, and making one key pass per game.
The £21k-per-week gem was also lauded for being “an absolute dream to work with” by former manager Steven Gerrard, and he still has something to offer in this Rangers side.
There is no doubt his injury has disrupted the momentum gained from that campaign, but it would be a mistake for Beale to move him on, and he could repeat Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s mistake of selling Cedric Itten.
The Swiss hitman arrived in Glasgow in the summer of 2020 and although not making as big an impact as he’d like, netting just six times, the striker still secured a league winners medal.
Following a brief loan spell in the Bundesliga, he was recalled midway through the 2021/22 campaign but his time at the Light Blues would be short-lived as the Dutchman sold him to BSC Young Boys that summer for £1.5m.
Fast-forward a year and Itten has won the league and cup double with the Swiss side while scoring 26 goals and grabbing 13 assists in the process.
Although this isn’t a true barometer for what success he could have had in Glasgow, moving him on without really giving him a proper chance was a big mistake.
There is no doubt Hagi has the attributes to succeed away from Rangers, but Beale mustn’t act spontaneously and sell him to the first bidder as it could turn into a major blunder.