Philippe Clement responds directly to Ianis Hagi Rangers recall question in new admission
Philippe Clement has responded directly to a question surrounding Ianis Hagi’s future with Rangers, admitting it is not just his decision whether or not he returns to Ibrox in January.
The Light Blues have returned to form following the Belgian’s appointment in Glasgow, lifting their first silverware of the season with the Viaplay Cup with the January transfer window around the corner.
One suggestion that has been repeatedly made has been to recall Hagi from his loan with Deportivo Alaves in La Liga, but Clement has refused to delve into the subject, admitting that the decision lies with the club, not just him.
As quoted by Fanatik (19 December) he said: “There are things that I only share in discussions with the player, not with the media. Excuse me, but it’s not my style to talk in public about transfers, rumours and other collateral matters.
“I understand your skill and curiosity, but these are details we only discuss inside the club. I don’t like to debate point issues when it comes to my players. We will see what happens because this is not just a decision of mine, but also of the club.”
Wait and see
The positive from this latest interview from Clement is that the Belgian has not ruled out the possibility of recalling Hagi during the January transfer window, but it feels as though the Romanian’s potential Ibrox return continues to hang in the balance.
So far this season, the 25-year-old has failed to impress in Spain, failing to find the net once and only managing a single assist in his 13 league appearances this season, yet still, several Rangers supporters are hoping to see him in blue for the second half of the campaign.
Rangers have plenty of depth in the attacking midfield position, with the likes of Todd Cantwell, Tom Lawrence, Kieran Dowell and Sam Lammers all competing for the number 10 role in Clement’s side. But the general consensus is that Hagi is a better fit than a number of those options.
It seems as though Clement will be keeping his cards very close to his chest ahead of the January transfer window, not just in regards to Hagi but the majority of the plans at Ibrox. Hopefully, things will become much clearer when the window opens.
In other Rangers news, Craig Moore has urged the Gers to sign one forward in January who he has compared to Ally McCoist