We could live without Ianis Hagi, and if I had a choice, he would be one of the first players I would sell.
Now, hear me out on this one.
I love the Romanian international and would have him start most weeks where his creativity is needed to break down stubborn defences, yes, he can be frustrating at times when he gives the ball away but his link up play and ability to find space for others is unsurpassed in this Rangers squad, in short, he is one of my favourite players.
So, why would I possibly want him punted?
For a start, he’s one of our most valuable players; his reputation, age, experience, international status all add to the qualities that he brings on the pitch, he is also the consummate professional off it with maturity beyond his years, he thrives under the pressure of wearing the Light Blue shirt, because of this, few players would command a transfer fee as high as his – his name alone attracts attention, this week alone we’ve seen three clubs linked with him.
The other reason is that, for all that they may bring slightly different skillsets, we do have cover for him even if we don’t invest in a replacement.
In Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s 4-2-3-1 we have Fashion Sakala, Scott Wright, Scott Arfield and Joe Aribo who can play on the right-hand side, then we have Ryan Kent who can play in the number ten role or Juninho Bacuna, even Kemar Roofe depending on the opposition.
Hagi has never been a prolific goalscorer and if he could add more goals, more consistently, he would probably be our best player, he remains a player who’s potential still outweighs what he is actually producing though and when it comes down to it, it’s all about the numbers, if Ross Wilson thinks there is a player out there who can produce double digit goals and assists without costing a fortune then it’s a no brainer.
No player is bigger than the club and no player is irreplaceable, regardless of who their old man is.