Philippe Clement baffles amid extraordinary Rangers exit developments as ace frozen out
Rangers freezing out Ianis Hagi and Philippe Clement showing no interest in the Romanian since he arrived in Glasgow is “baffling”, according to Keith Jackson.
The Daily Record journalist said on the Hotline Live on 6 August that he thought the exit-bound attacker had looked “strong” and “really sharp” during preseason a year ago, only to be bemused by the “extraordinary” decision to move him out on loan for players who proved to be major disappointments.
He was taken further aback that Clement hasn’t wanted to properly assess the 25-year-old, dropping him to the B Team when there are crucial European qualifiers to tackle with an unfinished squad, to equal confusion from colleague Scott McDermott.
Jackson said (21m 45s): “To be cut loose as part of the clear out [last summer] I found curious at the time. For Clement to come into the club and not want to take a proper look at him I find even more baffling, back in January when he could have recalled him.
“Then to be sitting in this situation when you need all hands on deck, you’ve got two games against Dynamo Kyiv to try and reach the play off rounds of the Champions League qualifiers and a guy who is one of your most experienced international players is playing against Middlesbrough for the B Team. I just don’t get it…
“Hagi was kind of pushed out the building this time last year to make room for your Kieran Dowells and your Sam Lammers. I found it at the time extraordinary, nothing that’s happened subsequently has made me change my mind.”
Clement then confirmed Hagi will be leaving during the transfer window in his subsequent press conference later that evening [Rangers Review, 5 August].
Ianis Hagi to leave Rangers after B Team game v Middlesbrough
Hagi is believed to be close to a move back to one of his former sides after agreeing personal terms with Fiorentina [SportpeSure, 21 July], with a fee of over £2m on the cards [Digi Sport, 26 July].
That might have explained keeping him out of harm’s way in the B Team if it wasn’t for the fact that he then turned out in a 4-3 win over Middlesbrough with the reserve squad on 5 August.
An injury at this stage would destroy the sale, which would be all the more of a blow when his Light Blues career was derailed in the first place by a serious knee problem which kept him out for over a year.
If Hagi wants to go and his agents are pushing to find him an exit then the decision may have largely been taken out of Clement’s hands, and the manager has made clear he wants to focus on players who he expects to be here after also dropping Lammers and Todd Cantwell from the first-team squad.
When the summer transfer business is still only half done and the season is now underway it looks bad to have a 39-cap international impressing in a B Team game after the senior side strained to a goalless draw at Hearts and now face Dynamo Kyiv in a vital European tie.
But if the required signings had all been made then nobody would bat an eye at Hagi being left out as he heads to the exit.
As things stand a completed transfer can’t come soon enough if Clement is going to get the cash together to complete his business before the deadline.
In other Rangers news, the Light Blues would move on another starting ace in order to pursue a £5million-plus striker.
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