The Rangers struck gold in Hagi 2.0

THE COACH of Glasgow Rangers, Danny Rohl, wants to become the first manager to win the Scottish Premiership title for this team from 2020/21.

Gers are four points behind Hearts who will play on Monday evening, with four games left to play in the league, which means they face an uphill battle to defend the title.

Rangers have been without a league title for almost five years due to struggles in the recruitment department, and the burning of many different managers since Steven Gerrard left the club.

The Light Blues had the likes of Ianis Hagi, Ryan Kent, Alfredo Morelos, and Connor Goldson in their last title-winning side, and they were all smart signings.

Hagi, for example, first joined on loan in January 2020 before the club decided to sign him permanently in the summer of their title-winning campaign.

How Rangers hit the jackpot with Ianis Hagi

The Romanian scored three goals and provided two assists in 13 appearances on loan before the Scottish giants snapped him up on a permanent deal from Genk for a record £3m.

Hagi then scored eight goals and assisted 15 goals in 46 appearances across all competitions in the 2020/21 campaign, topping the Premiership assist charts with 11.

He was the only player in the Premiership to hit double figures for assists and was the leading creative player, even ahead of James Tavernier, for the Gers as they won the title.

An ACL injury in January 2022 halted his progress at Ibrox, with Transfermarkt valuing him at £6m – double what they paid for him – at the time of the strike, but he returned to score four goals and provide seven assists in the league last season.

Despite leaving on a free transfer last summer, Hagi was a smart signing for the Gers, given his contribution to their title success, and could have been sold for a profit had his career at Ibrox not been interrupted by a serious injury.

Rangers have already unveiled their new signing Ianis Hagi

Although the recruitment process at Ibrox has not been as successful as it was for Gerrard, the Light Blues have had some success in recent years, and one of them looks like a repeat of Hagi.

Rangers are keen to sign Nicolas Raskin from Standard Liege in January 2023 for £1.5m, arriving in the same manner as Hagi as a decent player from the Belgian Pro League.

Since his move to Glasgow, the Belgian has scored 13 goals and provided 23 assists in 144 appearances for the club, and has been one of the Premier League’s most prolific players in the current campaign.

Since the start of the 2024/25 season, Raskin has scored ten goals, created 21 ‘big chances’, and provided 17 assists in the Premiership for the Gers.

Like Hagi, the 25-year-old maestro has emerged as a major creative threat for the Scottish giants in midfield, albeit in a central role, rather than an attacking midfielder.

In addition to his offensive qualities, Raskin made 3.1 tackles and interceptions combined per game and won 54% of his duels in the Premiership this season, excelling as a midfielder who can finish the game and make an impact at the other end of the pitch.

Other teams have noticed his impressive performances for the Gers in the middle of the park. TEAMtalk reported that Premier League and Serie A teams are eyeing him ahead of the January window.

It has also been reported that the Light Blues value the Belgian star at up to £20m, meaning he is worth £18.5m more than what they paid Standard Liege for his services.

So, Rangers have hit the jackpot with their new Hagi at Ibrox, as his value has shot through the roof and he has emerged as a key player for the club.

The Pro League has been a fruitful market for the Gers, most recently with the signing of Tuur Rommens from Westerlo, and it will be interesting to see if they revisit it in the summer for their next Hagi or Raskin.