The next phase of Rangers player trading model will be kicking into gear soon, big fees for Nathan Patterson, Joe Aribo and Calvin Bassey are a good start, however, it has to be maintained for us to be self-sustaining, those departures can’t be exceptional.
For Michael Beale to get who he wants and where he wants them, we will, probably, have to sell players again and, despite declaring his undying love for both Ianis Hagi and Glen Kamara, they are two of our most saleable assets in terms of contracts and profile.
Sevilla are rumoured to be interested in Kamara but it was a story concerning Hagi that the Gers gaffer was asked to comment on as the Romanian international playmaker made a successful return to first-team action after a year out injured, as reported by The Rangers Review:
“Galatasaray is close to his heart because he was born there and his Dad played there but Ianis Hagi is going to play for Rangers for a few more years yet. So I can dispel that rumour.
“Today was about getting Ianis out in front of the crowd after being out for a year with injury
“Let’s see how he settles but by the end of the month he will be wanting to start in a cup final, not watch one!”
Hagi clearly loves Rangers, the pressure of winning, the fan base and the platform that it gives him to shine, however, we all know that both the manager and player might not have a choice if someone offers what the 24-year old is valued at.
Malik Tillman has been playing in the role that you would expect Hagi to slot into, he’s also been playing it well and, with Fashion Sakala chipping in with numbers, Todd Cantwell impressing on debut and Tom Lawrence still to come back in, he won’t be guaranteed the minutes that he perhaps was in the past.
If Hagi – who only recently signed a new contract – is starting the league cup final then it will only be a good thing, because he will be displacing someone who has, arguably, been our best player this season – the question being whether or not he can return to the sort of form that sees Tillman return to Bayern Munich and any interest in himself turned away as easily as the manager suggests it will.