Absolutely Bonkers Ianis Hagi To Rangers Rumour Surfaces | OneFootball

Ianis Hagi Rangers return rumours have resurfaced in the most bizarre way possible, as a strange and frankly absurd report this week claims the Romanian playmaker has now asked Rangers to re-sign him—barely a month or two after the club formally let him go. This rumour appears to have come from nowhere and has understandably been treated with widespread scepticism from Rangers supporters who remember the drawn-out exit Hagi had from Ibrox after months of uncertainty over his future.

Hagi left Rangers this summer after a long and largely unproductive spell at the club, during which he was plagued by injury, inconsistency and a complete failure to nail down a regular starting position. The narrative at the time of his departure, as discussed here, made it clear that both parties had accepted it was time to move on. Hagi himself admitted in interviews he needed to restart his career and wanted to find a club where he could play regularly and be trusted to express himself. His previous move to Spain was viewed as a fresh start for him and a clean break for Rangers.

So to now see claims emerging that Hagi has personally asked Rangers to re-sign him stretches credibility to the limit. Rangers have undergone a complete midfield and attacking rebuild under Russell Martin and there is no place for nostalgia signings. The idea that a player the club was happy to release would be invited back with open arms so soon after is fantasy. It ignores not only the logistics of squad space and wages but also the sporting logic of looking forward, not backwards.

This particular Ibrox Noise breakdown covers the nature of Hagi’s exit in more detail and reinforces the idea that both he and Rangers were finished. Supporters were not exactly heartbroken to see him leave and few would argue he had fulfilled the promise many saw in him when he first arrived at Ibrox from Genk. There were flashes of quality, but no consistency. And even when he did show something, his physical limitations and lack of impact in big matches often let him down.

Russell Martin and the Rangers board have already made it clear they are investing in players who fit the modern profile of athleticism and aggression. The club is pursuing a completely new direction in terms of identity and footballing culture. As such, it would make no sense to bring Hagi back into that system, especially when other targets are younger, hungrier and more in tune with Martin’s philosophy. Reports like this do little more than stir up unfounded speculation that distracts from Rangers’ actual transfer business.

Of course some of this comes down to agents. When players struggle for form or favour, a common tactic is to leak hopeful stories to the press in a bid to stimulate interest or leverage from other clubs. This may well be the case here and would not be a surprise. The Romanian international has hardly set the world alight in La Liga either, and his comments about Rangers in recent weeks could be interpreted as wistful more than strategic.

The third and final time the Ianis Hagi Rangers return rumours popped up was when a piece on Ibrox Noise explored a hypothetical comeback long before he was even released. It was written with a tinge of romanticism but firmly grounded in the reality of Hagi’s limitations and the fact Rangers had moved on.

In short, while Hagi will be remembered for a few moments of magic in a Rangers shirt, the idea of him returning to Ibrox so soon after his release is pure fiction. The club is moving forward and there is no room in that future for re-signing a player who was already deemed surplus to requirements.