Romanian rising football star Ianis Hagi transfers to Genk

Romanian midfielder Ianis Hagi, 20, one of the most talented players of the new generation, transferred from his father’s club Viitorul Constanta to Belgium’s champion Genk.

Ianis’ father, Romanian football legend Gheorghe Hagi, passed on higher financial offers made by big clubs from Russia, England, Spain, and Germany, and chose Genk because of the similarities between the Belgian team and FC Viitorul, as both clubs promote young players. Moreover, Genk plays in the Champions League, a good opportunity for the young Hagi to gain experience in a top competition.

“it’s a huge transfer for Liga 1,” Gheorghe Hagi said in a press conference. However, although it’s the biggest transfer for Viitorul, this is not also the most expensive transfer in Romania, he added. “It’s a good sum for us, he went to a very good team, which won the championship, plays in the Champions League, a team that grows players,” Hagi explained. “We’ve had very high offers, for a lot of money, some medium offers and a more normal offer with a good technical project, which we chose,” he also said.

Genk will pay EUR 8 million in total for this transfer, including bonuses, but FC Viitorul will get only EUR 5.6 million, according to DigiSport.ro. Italian club Fiorentina, where Ianis Hagi played for almost two years, will get 30% of the transfer money, namely EUR 2.4 million.

Other offers for Ianis Hagi reached EUR 10 million and even EUR 15 million from a top club in Russia, according to the Romanian media. Ianis Hagi started his career at Viitorul Constanta, where he played 38 matches between 2014 and 2016, scoring 4 goals. He then transferred to Italian club Fiorentina, where he only played 2 matches for the first team in almost two years, so his father brought him back to Romania. His career blossomed at home, where he scored 16 goals for Viitorul in 45 matches. He is also the captain of the Romanian Under 21 national team, which reached the semifinals of the European Championship this summer. He scored two goals for Romania at this tournament. Ianis Hagi has also already played three matches for Romania’s national team.

His father, Gheorghe Hagi, is considered the best Romanian football player of all times. He was captain of the Romanian national team that reached the quarterfinals of the World Cup in the U.S. in 1994, and he scored 35 goals for the national team in 125 matches. Hagi Sr. played for Steaua Bucharest, Real Madrid, Brescia, Barcelona, and Galatasaray.

(Photo source: KRC Genk website)