Rangers star 'expected to leave' amid contract difficulties as Celtic ace makes honest future admission

Celtic and Rangers are back in action this weekend as the Scottish Premiership action continues.

The Hoops suffered a wounding defeat to Bayern Munich during the week. Celtic hearts were shattered after a stoppage time goal from Alphonso Davies secured the win for the German side on aggregate.

Both Glasgow sides are playing on Saturday, as Celtic prepare for an away trip to Hibs, and Rangers get ready to host St Mirren at Ibrox. As we wait for the action to resume, here’s a look at some of the latest news for both clubs.

Rangers star ‘expected to leave’ after contract snub

Ianis Hagi is now ‘expected to leave’ Rangers at the end of the season, following his decision to reject a new contract approach from the club. The Romania international has been in and out of the headlines recently as speculation over his future continues.

Hagi has had to work his way back into Philippe Clement’s first team and despite re-establishing himself as a regular starter, he has been urged to leave Ibrox. Romania national team manager Mircea Lucescu recently admitted he has advised Hagi to find a new club, and he could well do just that in the summer.

According to Pro Sport, talks between Hagi and Rangers have not been going to plan, as the player is unwilling to pen new terms on a reduced wage. It was recently reported that the Gers would not be offering a new deal unless Hagi was willing to take a pay cut, but this does not seem to be an option for the midfielder.

Hagi’s current financial demands are viewed as too high for the Glasgow club. This now means he is free to enter negotiations with another team, as his contract is due to expire at the end of the season. The report claims there is ‘no shortage of offers’ to sign Hagi as a free agent when the Scottish Premiership season comes to a close.

Celtic ace will ‘wait and see’ about his future

Gustaf Lagerbielke is currently out on loan with FC Twente and according to Twente Insite, it’s ‘no longer a secret’ that the club want to continue their time with the defender. However, the Dutch side have not included an option to buy clause in their deal with Celtic.

Speaking to Voetbal International recently, Lagerbielke discussed his current stance and what it could mean as the Hoops are relatively quiet over their intentions for him.

“I don't hear much from Celtic, they probably have other things on their minds. Me too. I'm concentrating on Twente,” the 24-year-old said.

“I'll wait and see. Everything is still open,” he continued when asked about his situation at Twente. “In football, it's not always the player himself who can make decisions. But I'm happy here and the club is great for me. I enjoy playing here, the family feeling, the atmosphere in De Grolsch Veste.

“Last week, the supporters pushed us forward again. In the second half, you could feel how the Bodo/Glimt players were getting intimidated. Against Besiktas, the stadium came to a boiling point. The noise that evening was sometimes comparable to the Old Firm.”