Ianis Hagi’s future at Rangers could soon be clarified following a “mysterious reaction” from Gheorghe Popescu to SportpeSurse.
Former Romanian international Popescu spoke to a media outlet in his home country on July 21, suggesting that any questions about the departure of Ibrox ace Ianis Hagi should be directed to Hagi himself from the following day.
Popescu, a former teammate of Hagi’s father, Gheorghe, and also his brother-in-law, according to The Sun, declined to confirm whether Ianis Hagi is about to join Fiorentina, despite reports from SportpeSurse that Hagi has already agreed to personal terms with the Italian club.
Popescu stated, “If I knew, I wouldn’t tell you. I don’t think you should talk to me, but to Ianis. So you should talk to him, maybe from tomorrow onwards.”
Ianis Hagi has reportedly agreed to personal terms for a move from Rangers to Fiorentina.
Popescu’s past involvement with the Romanian secret police during his playing career, as reported by the Guardian, may explain his vague response regarding Hagi’s future. However, he seemed to imply that Hagi might provide more information starting Monday, July 22.
At 25, Hagi is one of several players that Rangers’ manager Philippe Clement and Nils Koppen need to offload to generate funds for new signings. The Rangers Review mentioned on July 13 that the board has informed the manager that sales are necessary to finance new acquisitions. Given Hagi’s limited appearances in the past three years, selling him would be a prudent move.
The former Alaves loanee Ianis Hagi appears reluctant to return to Ibrox [MARCA, March 21] after his career was significantly disrupted by a serious knee injury.
Therefore, it would be beneficial for all parties to finalize a fee with Fiorentina promptly if Hagi is willing to rejoin his former club.