By Peter Lynch

20th Nov, 2023 | 1:40pm

Philippe Clement now cannot ignore Ianis Hagi after what Rangers loanee did in last 48 hours

Former Rangers manager Michael Beale made plenty of major decisions at Ibrox during the summer transfer window.

The majority of them turned out to be very costly indeed, with his recruits failing to deliver positive results, resulting in the boss losing his job.

But while Beale said a permanent farewell to several first team regulars, there were a handful who were only sent out on loan.

One of which was Ianis Hagi, who was transferred to La Liga outfit Alaves on a season-long loan, in what may prove to be a smart move from Beale.

That is because the attacker still has the chance of returning to Ibrox and being a key player under new manager Philippe Clement. And with two goals and plenty of minutes at the Spanish club, he hasn’t done those chances any harm.

But Clement will also be looking at how the 25-year-old is getting on for his country, and in that respect the boss simply cannot ignore the Rangers man.

The Gers loanee was the hero for Romania as they defeated Israel 2-1 on Saturday (18 November), with his second half goal securing the country’s spot at next summer’s Euro 2024 tournament.

The strike means Romania have qualified for their first major tournament since 2016, while at the same time it may have just brought the player into the mind of Clement.

For now, however, the attacker can only continue to do his best for club and country, with the Gers manager definitely not going to make a definitive decision on Hagi’s future at this stage of the season.

In other Rangers news, a journalist has predicted there to be “no shortage of takers” for one Gers ace if new contract talks “prove difficult” for the player.