‘Nothing in the way now’ – Exclusive: Alan Hutton thrilled by latest Rangers statement
Alan Hutton has been left raving after Rangers confirmed the signing of Ianis Hagi on a permanent deal.
The former Rangers defender, speaking exclusively to Football Insider assistant editor Russell Edge, insists that getting the deal done as early as possible is important for the 21-year-old’s mental state going into the summer.
Rangers revealed that they had turned Hagi’s loan from Genk permanent on Wednesday afternoon, having renegotiated the purchase clause agreed back in January.
Hutton admits he has been dazzled by the winger in flashes since his arrival at Ibrox and believes getting a deal done now is only going to be a boost ahead of pre-season.
Hutton told Football Insider: “First and foremost, since he’s come in back in January he’s done really well, he’s shown us how good he can be. The difficult side of it is coming in in January and being at a level and being ready to go.
“Getting it done early, it means there’s nothing in the way now, he can concentrate solely on his football. He can go into a pre-season knowing where his head’s at, knowing where he’s going to be playing his football for the upcoming seasons and really crack on, work hard and be that main feature for the Rangers team moving forward.
“I think it takes time – you’re coming into a different league, a different way of playing than what you’re used to. He’s young, he has to bed in, living is different, finding a house – they’ll impact on you. Now he’s had that little bit of experience, we’ve seen what he’s capable of.
“I’m obviously a fan of his, I think he can do great things, he showed flashes of it – he’s a young boy, he’s full of confidence and he’ll know exactly what he’s capable of and he’ll be looking forward to showing everybody.”
Hagi played 12 times for Rangers this season, scoring three and chipping in with a further two assists.
A versatile forward, he swapped between playing as a right-winger and as an attacking midfielder for Steven Gerrard.
In other Rangers news, Hutton claims English clubs will be queuing to sign a Gers midfielder after an official announcement.