Foreign club name Rangers ace as key winter transfer target as flip-flopping Clement accused of mixed messages
Rangers could see interest mount in a star that’s had a bumpy season.
Ianis Hagi has been linked with a move abroad as Rangers transfer rumours begin to fly.
It’s been claimed by Corriere dello Sport that the Romanian playmaker is a key target in the eyes of incoming Genoa owner Dan Sucu. He is also the owner of Rapid Bucharest who were interested in signing him during the summer transfer window, when Hagi was exiled from first team involvement at Rangers.
A contract dispute has now been resolved and manager Philippe Clement has made him a first team regular. The report states Serie A outfit Genoa are “very close” to the player who has previously been in Italy with Fiorentina.
Meanwhile, Rangers hero Kris Boyd has slammed Clement for messaging surrounding Hagi and another players. He wrote in the Scottish Sun: “For me, Clement doesn’t completely trust all of his players and vice versa. The mixed messages coming from him all season have been incredible. He’s flip-flopped on so many players it’s hard to keep up with him.
“James Tavernier would have gone by now had a package that suited all parties been on the table. It wasn’t there, so Clement tried to phase him out of the team — now he’s back playing every game. Injuries have contributed to that, but although Tav’s the captain, he can’t know if he’s coming or going.
“The case of Ianis Hagi is even tougher to get your head around. Forget the Romanian’s contract issue, Clement publicly stated back in August that he wasn’t part of his plans. Now? Hagi is a first pick and the manager is raving about how good he is. Make sense of that. Nico Raskin was another one out of the picture, although he had a few injuries.
“Now he’s sorted his diet out, he is the midfielder that Clement supposedly wants to build his team around. Then you have Cyriel Dessers, who’s been totally bombed despite still being Rangers’ top scorer. Hamza Igamane is suddenly Clement’s first-choice striker. While the Moroccan has talent, he is still raw.
“If I was Dessers, I’d be scratching my head at being overlooked. Sure, the big man is far from perfect, but right now, he’s a better bet to score consistently than Igamane. So much of what is going on at Gers doesn’t make any sense to me — from Clement’s comments to his tactics.”