Italian press has today claimed Lecce are interested in Rangers’ Romanian playmaker Ianis Hagi, after the former Genk man’s place at Ibrox looked anything but assured in Michael Beale’s plans going forward.

Like Kemar Roofe and Tom Lawrence, Hagi’s place at the club is currently far from certain, with Beale’s rebuild deep underway and few fans including any of these three in potential starting XIs for next season.

Of course, depth is required and it would not be the worst bench to have such options to introduce, but none of them will content with being squad players, least of all the Romanian star whose father is more than a touch colourful and entitled regarding his son’s selection in the teams he plays for.

Hagi senior has admitted Sevilla would suit his offspring, but there’s the small matter of the preposterous new deal Hagi signed on the cusp of his injury return, only to play a fractional role thereafter.

The Italians are now said to be mulling over a move for him, and in all honesty, we don’t really see a place at Rangers for Ianis Hagi any more.

He was a Steven Gerrard signing and his injury lost him more than a yard of pace, and with Todd Cantwell dominating that position and depth like Kieran Dowell and Alex Lowry to name just two, Hagi’s predicament isn’t ideal for him.

In short, Rangers have moved on, and Hagi is going to struggle to be a major part of the club from here on in, and that’s not what he or his old man want.

So if Lecce do come in with a serious offer, they probably have every chance of it being accepted.

Is he surplus? He probably rather is, yes.