Many Rangers fans are complaining about the ‘treatment’ of Romanian Ianis Hagi, consigned as he is to the club’s B team amid purportive claims of ‘loving’ Rangers and wanting to be here.
We’re not sure we believe a word of this, given at the start of his loan at Alaves, he purported to ‘love Spain’ and announced he intended to ‘stay’ there;
This is indeed just lip service because he ultimately didn’t get the move away this summer that he wanted, and didn’t want to take the 50% wage cut he was being offered in Romania, which were the only offers he got.
But the real bottom line is some fans (and his old man) complaining at the ‘terrible’ treatment of him, all because 100 appearances triggers a wage increase of 33%, from around £22,000pw to £30,000pw.
At the same time, these are the same supporters complaining about the wage bill being too high, and yet they are endorsing Hagi’s wage being hiked by a third.
Now, the argument there is ‘well he’s entitled to it’ and ‘shocking behaviour from the club not honouring his contract’.
Well, that contract, that farcical THREE YEAR EXTENSION was awarded in the middle of Hagi being injured in late 2022, and it took his deal from 2023 to 2026, with a wage increase and a promise of a further one once he hit 100 appearances.
That deal, ladies and gentlemen, was awarded him by none other than Ross Wilson, who gifted Ben Davies and Rabbi Matondo shocking salaries of around £30,000pw for not a lot.
A man who spent money Rangers didn’t have, who wasted money Rangers didn’t have, on a whole bunch of rubbish that the club is only now trying to get off the bill.
It’s not that Hagi isn’t entitled to his increase, it’s more that a toxic ex-Sporting Director should never EVER have given him that; it was a truly appalling decision, and sums up so many bad calls this club has made in the past 5+ years.
And now Rangers, run more tightly in the wage departure, just aren’t willing to waste £30,000pw on another player who doesn’t deserve it.
It’s not so much he can ‘rot’, it’s more that the manager can’t play him.
It can’t be helped, and it’s down to Wilson.