Rangers have a few players on loan at the club currently and that means some decisions have to be made between now and the summer in regard to whether they are kept on.
Steven Gerrard added Florian Kamberi and Ianis Hagi to the squad in January, and according to The Athletic Rangers have an option in place in both deals which allow the players to be signed on a temporary basis.
Each signing has made an impact, with the latter proving crucial in the Europa League round of 32 tie against Braga, and it was revealed this week that he can be purchased at any time for £4m.
Hagi is untested and inexperienced so Gerrard would be taking a bit of gamble to sign him permanently, and it will be interesting to see how his future develops over the coming weeks.
Our writers have been analysing his game and weighing up whether the Ibrox club should make a move. Here’s what they had to say.
Matt Dawson
“At around £4m, this should be an absolute no brainer for Ross Wilson. The former Southampton director has got a number of transfers wrong in the past, namely paying £16m for Mohamed Elyounoussi and £19m for Guido Carrillo when in England, but this would be a sign that he’s starting to learn his lesson. Sometimes you don’t always need to spend huge sums of money to land top-quality talent.
“Hagi is in that ballpark after contributing to five goals in the short period of time he’s been at Ibrox. A player with huge pressure on his shoulders, being the son of Gheorge Hagi, he is a tricky customer who could add an extra element to this Rangers side that could bridge the gap between them and their fiercest rivals, Celtic. Hagi has the ability to change the game in an instant, firing in two goals against Braga on the European stage.
“Possessing the ability to play in a number of positions and roles too, he’d be an exquisite addition for Steven Gerrard’s men – the fact he’s seemingly ready to reject Lazio to remain in Glasgow tells you that he loves it at Ibrox – they have to pull out all the stops to bring the 21-year-old back next term.”
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Harry Sherlock
“This is a no from me.
“At £4m – not a cheap fee in Scottish football, when one considers that Rangers have only spent over £4m on a single player once in the past three seasons, with the signing of Ryan Kent – it is a deal that doesn’t make a lot of sense.
“Hagi has shown flashes during his time in Scotland, but three goals and two assists shouldn’t be enough to sway Steven Gerrard’s men into stumping up.
“At the end of the day, it’s nothing more than a punt; Rangers can spend their money better elsewhere.”
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Danny Lewis
“This feels like it would be a massive coup for Rangers – especially when Lazio’s interest is considered.
“He has already shown his ability to change games in Gerrard’s favour: his two goals and an assist across two legs against Braga is the obvious example, but the Romanian also scored an 84th-minute winner against Hibernian. This shows that he can perform both on big European nights and in the grittier surroundings of SPFL football.
“When watching Rangers, he often looks like the most naturally gifted player in the team, so mixing that ability with his exemplary attitude means this is a move Rangers should definitely be completing.”
Kealan Hughes
“On paper signing Hagi would seem like a sensible move to make for Rangers.
“While £4m isn’t exactly cheap Hagi is a young player who could improve to a point that makes such a fee look a bargain, and if the Gers are to overhaul Celtic then they shouldn’t hesitate in pushing the boat out when necessary.
“His game seems to be on the up at the moment too. He made seven goal contrbutions in 14 games for Gent in the first half of the season before turning on the style in the Europa League recently, providing the key to Rangers edging past Braga.
“If he can make the step up to that level on a consistent basis he will be a real find, and well worth a long-term contract should he want to make the permanent move in the summer.”
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