Kealan Hughes

Sat 16 January 2021 17:31, UK

Rangers are closing in on a pre-contract deal for Aberdeen’s Scott Wright and Ianis Hagi must start delivering more with the potential added competition incoming.

The Romanian has struggled with inconsistency and has underwhelmed on occasion despite a return of three goals and eight assists in the SPFL.

A WhoScored average rating of 6.89 shows there is a lot of work to be done.

Hagi’s biggest issue is his inconsistency and he must improve if he wants to maintain his place in the starting line-up once Kemar Roofe returns from injury.

The 22-year-old’s performance against Aberdeen last week was an example of the improvement required, as he managed just a 77% pass accuracy against a side that played most of the match with ten men.

Steven Gerrard will not be satisfied with that, nor will he be impressed with Hagi’s failure to record a single key pass or successful dribble at Pittodrie, per WhoScored.

That may have encouraged the Gers boss to turn his attention to Scott Wright, whom he said he is close to signing on a pre-contract deal – though Gerrard wants him sooner.

The Aberdeen star can play in attacking midfield or on the wing, much like Hagi, and he is likely to provide competition if he does sign.

In response, Hagi must use the Scot’s arrival – if it happens – as motivation to improve and show Stevie G that he is good enough to be a regular starter.

A failure to do so means Hagi risks being axed from the starting eleven, and possibly dropping down the pecking order in favour of Wright.

To avoid that outcome, the youngster should look to emulate Ryan Kent.

The pair have recorded a similar amount of goal contributions this term, yet it is Kent who consistently causes more trouble for opposition defences.

Hagi compares poorly to his teammate in two significant areas; key passes and successful dribbles.

In comparison to Kent’s respective return of 2.3 and two per game, the £23,000 a week man has 1.3 key passes and 0.7 dribbles per 90 mins, according to WhoScored.

Even Wright has performed better when it comes to carrying the ball, so it is vital that the Romania U21 international views his imminent arrival as a warning and reacts to it in a positive manner.

It seems as though the move to sign the Aberdeen attacker could be beneficial for multiple reasons, therefore, and Gerrard will deserve tremendous credit if it forces the best out of Hagi.

In other Rangers news, Derek Ferguson has revealed his fear about a potential transfer approach for a 24-year-old.