Romanian attacking midfielder Ianis Hagi has agreed terms to join French Ligue 1 side Olympique Marseille during the upcoming winter transfer window. The 27-year-old current Alanyaspor player rejected a lucrative offer from Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv to secure his move to France.
Reports from Romanian news portal Fanatik indicate that the chances of Hagi moving to Marseille in January stand at over 90 percent. Maccabi Tel Aviv had made a strenuous effort to sign the player just before the close of the recent summer transfer window, offering him a substantial contract worth close to 1 million euros. However, Hagi turned down the deal due to his existing agreement with the French club.
Marseille struggles in Ligue 1
The prospective move comes at a difficult time for Olympique Marseille, who have experienced a troubling start to their domestic campaign. After five matches in Ligue 1, the club sits in 17th place, second from bottom in the table, having accumulated just three points from one victory and four defeats. In their most recent fixture, Marseille suffered a 2-1 defeat on home soil in a high-profile clash against Paris Saint-Germain.
Olympique Marseille are historically one of the most successful football clubs in France, competing in the top division of French football. Hagi, whose market value is estimated at 1.8 million euros by football database Transfermarkt, currently plays for Turkish Süper Lig club Alanyaspor.
Failed negotiations with Legia Warsaw
Prior to his move to Turkey, Hagi was strongly linked with a move to Polish club Legia Warsaw. His agent, Arcadie Zaporojanu, revealed in an interview that he had offered Hagi to Legia before Edi Iordanescu joined the Warsaw club. Hagi was negotiating with Alanyaspor in May, but initially prioritized a potential move to Poland.
However, the transfer collapsed when Hagi declined the financial terms presented by the Polish side. Zaporojanu noted that Legia subsequently invested heavily to sign striker Mileta Rajovic from English club Watford, which made satisfying Hagi's financial expectations even more difficult for the Warsaw club.
Hagi eventually completed his transfer to Alanyaspor on a free transfer after departing Scottish Premiership club Rangers. During his debut season with Alanyaspor, the midfielder scored five goals and provided two assists across 30 appearances in all competitions. His current campaign in Turkey has proven more challenging, featuring in four matches with just one start and registering a single assist. Throughout his career, he has also represented Belgian side KRC Genk and Spanish club Deportivo Alaves.
International recall and upcoming fixtures
Despite his limited minutes at club level, Hagi has earned a call-up to the Romania national team, which is currently managed by his father, Gheorghe Hagi. The elder Hagi is widely regarded as Romania's greatest footballer, having played for European giants Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, and Galatasaray.
The upcoming international fixture list could bring Ianis Hagi back into the spotlight for Polish football supporters. Romania are scheduled to play Poland on October 2 at the PGE Narodowy stadium in Warsaw, offering local fans an opportunity to watch the midfielder in action before his proposed winter transfer to France.
