Barry Ferguson claims Rangers new boy Ianis Hagi is facing ‘massive’ season in 20/21
Barry Ferguson has claimed that Rangers new boy Ianis Hagi is facing a “massive” season next term.
The Romanian made his loan move from Genk permanent at the back end of May, after impressing over the course of 10 outings for the Gers since January.
And Ferguson is of the opinion that he can have a crucial role to play for Steven Gerrard’s men in 2020/21 as they push to prevent Celtic from winning a tenth consecutive league title.
Writing in a column for the Daily Record, the former Ibrox man said: “We saw snippets last season of what Ianis Hagi is all about and he’s arrived on a permanent deal.
“And the £3million forked out to make it happen is a vote of confidence for his potential. There’s no doubt he’s technically gifted and looked ready to push on just before the pandemic hit the pause button.
“This season is going to be massive for him. He’ll need to shoulder creative responsibility and show what a positive impact he can have on the identity of the side.
“I’m also still unsure what his best position is, coming off the left or right flank or playing more as a No.10. Time will tell where Gerrard is going to deploy him and whether that fee will represent good or bad business.”
How important can Hagi be for Rangers next season?
If Hagi hits the ground running and fulfils his full potential, then he can be one of the most influential players in Gerrard’s squad, without a shadow of a doubt.
Over the course of 2019/20, he averaged 3.6% more successful dribbles than Ryan Kent, as well as making more passes, delivering more crosses, and having more shots on goal per game, as per Wyscout.
His star turn against SC Braga, when he scored twice and generally ran the show, was a fantastic glimpse into just how unplayable he can be on his day, and if the 21-year-old can find a way of producing that kind of performance more often than not, then Rangers will have a really exciting talent on their hands.
In other Rangers news, ‘Happy days’ – Many Gers fans delighted by announcement on new deal for Stephen Kelly.