Philippe Clement drops bizarre Ianis Hagi Rangers return update

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Ibrox Noise

·3 October 2024

Philippe Clement drops bizarre Ianis Hagi Rangers return update

Rangers manager Philippe Clement has dropped a rather strange and borderline bewildering admission about retuning playmaker Ianis Hagi which slightly pours cold water over an immediate reunion for the Romanian.

Speaking before Lyon, Clement, who didn’t look exactly best thrilled to be ‘welcoming’ Hagi back, made a confession which does suggest this return is not as welcome for the Belgian as one might think.

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The revelation?

That a 25-year-old playmaker who is completely fit, ‘isn’t ready’ for Rangers and is a long way from being fit, apparently.

He said exactly:

“So it’s normal, he’s back in the squad training and getting him back to his best level is now the job. It is a new signing because I was never able to work with him. He’s not an option yet, so there’s a way to go of course, but the more players you can have that can make a difference for your team, the better as a gaffer.”

We’re not sure there’s anything normal about Hagi not being ready, not being an option, because unlike any other player being ‘promoted’ from the B team, he knows exactly the demands of Rangers seniors (even if we at Ibrox Noise are a bit split over his merits as a player) and he’s physically completely fit.

Yes, he hasn’t been training with the seniors, so his sharpness levels are a bit lower, but if there’s one thing we will say about the ex-Genk man, he’s a professional.

For example, Oscar Cortes out injured for practically the whole season and Clement threw him straight back in, only for him to get injured immediately again, before the manager threw him right back in yet again, only for him to get injured again.

But Hagi isn’t ready, despite being completely fit and knowing the demands of the top team?

We do get the impression, as we always did, that Clement isn’t Hagi’s biggest fan, is happy to have the option for depth purposes but isn’t exactly seeking him as a marquee starter any time soon, and is rather stalling for time.

Hagi is back with the seniors, but as with this manager, it seems one rule for one player, another for another, and another for another etc etc.

We couldn’t even guess when the Romanian will actually play.