Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard could raid his former side Rangers for impressive Romanian star Ianis Hagi.
According to Fichajes, Aston Villa are interested in making a move for Rangers FC star Ianis Hagi.
The 23-year-old Romanian initially joined Rangers on loan from Genk in January 2020. The deal was made permanent later that year, and he went on to become a key player at the Ibrox.
Hagi played a starring role in Rangers’ run to the Scottish Premier League last season. He made a season-high 11 assists over the course of the campaign and won the Scottish Premiership Playmaker of the Season. The Romanian international also won the Rangers’ Young Player of the Year award that season.
Son of the legendary Gheorghe Hagi, Ianis is keen to take his game to the next level. There is only so much that one can achieve in the Scottish Premier League, and he is eager to follow in his illustrious father’s footsteps. Gheorghe won the UEFA Cup with Galatasaray in 2000, and his son appears to have taken a shine to repeat that success in Europe.
While the chances of him winning a European crown with Aston Villa is remote, a move to Villa Park will see him take his talents to a larger audience. It could very well act as an audition for him to gain a future transfer to the best teams in Europe.
Currently managed by Steven Gerrard, Villa have won two games on the bounce and are slowly finding their feet this season. In Ollie Watkins and Danny Ings, the Midlands side already have two proven goalscorers. Adding Ianis to the mix will certainly add more bite to the attack.
Gerrard was the one who signed him while at Rangers and developed him into a formidable force in Scottish domestic football. Already familiar with Ianis’ strengths, the Liverpool legend could get the best out of him at Villa Park.
The 23-year-old has failed to live up to last season’s performances and could do with a change in scenery. While Villa could offer him a fresh start, their path to securing the player will not be straightforward. French giants Olympique de Lyonnais are also interested and could make a move to land Ianis in January.
It would appear that an offer from Lyon for the player’s services is imminent in the coming days. While the Ligue 1 side could set the initiative, Villa could yet retain hope of trumping them. The English side have money following the blockbuster summer sale of Jack Grealish to Manchester City. More so, the chance for Ianis to reunite with Gerrard could help in the player’s development.
Like Gheorghe, Gerrard, too, is a superstar midfielder of his generation. As someone who has been there and done that, Ianis could very well stand to learn much from the Liverpool legend. Whether the duo will link up in the coming seasons at Villa Park remains to be seen.
