Athletic journo reveals details of potential Rangers swoop amid reported competition
Rangers have no intention of exercising their option-to-buy clause in Ianis Hagi’s loan deal only to sell him straight to Lazio, according to The Athletic journalist Jordan Campbell.
The 21-year-old has impressed since arriving at Ibrox in January, but as yet, no concrete decision has been made on whether or not the Gers will choose to make his temporary stint in Scotland permanent.
A report from Italian outlet La Lazio Siamo Noi claimed earlier this month that Serie A outfit Lazio are considering a swoop for the playmaker.
But while Rangers still have first refusal on whether or not to sign Hagi, Campbell has spoken out on the possibility of the club making a quick buck on him in the summer.
When asked during a Q&A for The Athletic if the Gers would sign the youngster to offload him immediately for a profit, Campbell wrote: “No, I don’t believe that’s what Rangers have in mind.
“The Lazio interest is true I believe but Rangers have an exclusive option to buy and Hagi likes it here.
“Any purchase would be part of the model to sell on and doing that instantly limits what a full season could do to his price tag.”
Is this good news for Rangers fans?
Absolutely, yes.
While we still have no concrete answer on whether or not the Gers will make a move for Hagi at the end of the season, whenever that may be, it’s fair to say that the Romanian has been impressive during his time at Ibrox so far.
Since January he has averaged 5.28 successful dribbles and 2.99 accurate crosses per match in the Premiership, as per Wyscout.
As a point of reference, Joe Aribo has averaged just 1.25 accurate accurate crosses per game this season, as per Wyscout.
Hagi’s creativity is a massive plus for the Gers, and signing him seems like a no-brainer – signing him and keeping him feels like even more of one.
In other Rangers news, Confirmed: Gers make key decision on several players amid Coronavirus upheaval.