Despite the indefinite suspension of Scottish Premiership amid COVID-19 outbreak, the transfer rumours have not stopped surfacing even if it is still unclear when the summer transfer window will begin. The winter arrival of Ianis Hagi bolstered Rangers in the attacking third. Although they failed to keep up with the pace with Celtic in the title battle, the Romanian sensation grabbed all the attention for his immediate impact.
Ianis, the son of iconic Gheorghe Hagi, completed an initial loan switch from Genk for the remainder of the current campaign. The Gers retain the option to buy the 21-year-old for a fee of around £4.5m but, at the same time, might not see him feature again amid reports of Real Madrid’s interest, according to Don Balon.
In The Limelight Again
Hagi has been linked to Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur as claimed by the player’s agent, but the story citing Real Madrid’s keenness must be fascinating from every aspect. The youngster moved to Belgium last summer but failed to make any notable contribution. However, the spell at Rangers has now brought him back in the limelight, particularly the brace against Braga that guided the Bears to a momentous Ibrox win in the intermediate stage (first leg) in the Europa League.
Gheorghe Hagi represented Los Blancos during his playing days, and Ianis is now backed to follow his father’s footsteps. Both Florentino Perez and Zinedine Zidane are eager to recruit young names, and the versatile attacker is reportedly one touted to serve the Spanish giants in the long run.
Real Madrid, meanwhile, would wait for the Gers to strike a permanent deal and once it is official, a bid in the region of £8.8m is tipped to be offered to secure his services. This would be quite a monetary profit for Rangers too considering the financial constraints of Scottish football.
What’s Next For The Rangers Star?
Hagi has featured 12 times for the Bears across all competitions and exhibited his versatility by adjusting to a ‘number 10’ role as well as a position down the wide areas. He is skilful, strong with both the feet and has a creative spark in his game which reflected in the goals (3) he scored donning the famous Light Blues kit.
A year or two at Ibrox would have boosted his confidence with regular minutes, and therefore, allowing him to sharpen his attributes under the guidance of Steven Gerrard. He is likely to be sent to Castilla initially if a move to Bernabeu occurs this year. The transfer, however, might not be ideal at this stage due to his peripheral presence in the top tier football over the past few seasons. Having said that, it is indeed every youngster’s dream to play for Los Merengues and conquer the utmost glory.
