By Barry Ferguson’s own admission, the sheer existence of Rangers’ £3 million forgotten man completed slipped his mind.
And, in truth, the former Ibrox skipper can be forgiven really.
The Steven Gerrard favourite has not featured with any regularity in a Rangers jersey since midway through the 2021/22 season after all. Since he suffered the serious knee injury which, two-and-a-half years ago, brought his promising career to a shuddering and devastating half.
Flash forward to July 2024, is Ianis Hagi ready to pick up where he left off?
A disappointing loan spell in Spain with Deportivo Alaves won’t have had many Gers supporters rushing to welcome Hagi back. The player himself, meanwhile, admitted a few months back that he was keen to secure a permanent switch to La Liga.
But, Ferguson’s memory jolted after watching Hagi help Romania into the last-16 of the European Championships, could there still be a place for him under Philippe Clement?
Ianis Hagi tipped for a fresh start at Rangers
“I must be honest, I’d almost forgotten all about him,” Ferguson tells the Daily Record. “It wasn’t until the Euros began in Germany and I saw him representing his country that I remembered Ianis Hagi is still actually a Rangers player.
“He’s been out of the picture for so long that he slipped my mind completely.
“Philippe Clement will have been watching every minute and the manager might have seen enough to think he could have a major asset back on his hands.”
Rangers are not short of talent in the number ten role, with Todd Cantwell, Tom Lawrence and Kieran Dowell all capable of playing in that position. There remains a feeling in some quarters, however, that Hagi could still offer something a little different with his superb set-pieces and his ability to pick padlocked backlines.
Ferguson, in hindsight, wonders if the Glasgow giants should have kept the faith in Hagi last summer rather than bringing in the likes of Sam Lammers for £3 million.
“The least said about last summer’s botched rebuild under Michael Beale the better. But, even at the time, I remember thinking the rush to push Hagi out of the door was a little strange,” Ferguson adds.
“Despite the wave of new arrivals the Romanian even featured in a couple of Beale’s pre-season games and he was actually one of the few players who caught my eye.
“He obviously worked his socks off over the summer because he looked so much sharper and stronger when the pre-season stuff began. That told me a great deal about his strength of character and his desire to get back wearing a Rangers shirt.
“So I did wonder if Beale might have been making a mistake by getting rid of him to make room for all his new arrivals.”
Philippe Clement has a decision to make
Hagi’s agent recently admitted that no decision was likely to be made on his Rangers future until the start of pre-season. Giovanni Becali also played down speculation linking the playmaker with a move to Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce.
A swap deal with Rapid Bucharest may be on the cards, however.
New Rapid coach Neil Lennon has opened up on his admiration for a man he knows well from those Old Firm derbies, with Albion Rrahmani potentially heading in the other direction.
“Clement will certainly have been paying attention and it will be interesting to see what the manager has in mind for Hagi’s next step,” five-time Scottish Premiership champion Ferguson concludes.
“Does he cash in on a player whose value will have shot up? Or does he see a player there who is ready-made to step into his own team?
“There has never been any doubt about his talent and he’s shown over the last few weeks he’s fully fit and firing again.
“Having heard the manager speak over the last couple of weeks it’s also clear to me that he’ll also be looking to recruit some experienced campaigners. Guys who are ready to hit the ground running and lead from the front as soon as the season begins.
“At the age of 25, someone like Hagi could come into that category. There is no question in my mind that he has something to offer.”
