Rangers officials have travelled to Norway for talks over Jens Hjerto-Dahl, adding another layer to the transfer race for the 20-year-old Tromso midfielder.
The move comes after Cardiff City had already seen a reported £5.5million bid rejected earlier this week, with Sky Sports reporting that negotiations between Cardiff City and Tromso were continuing. Rangers, meanwhile, have now entered the picture more directly by sending representatives to discuss a possible deal.
Tromso are understood to be standing firm on their valuation, with the Norwegian club reportedly looking for closer to £8.5million. That puts the situation in a clear holding pattern for now: Cardiff City have reopened talks after their opening offer was turned down, while Rangers have made the trip to try to move ahead of them.
Hjerto-Dahl, for his part, appears open to weighing up his options. He has already spoken about how tempting it would be to play in an Old Firm match, describing it as a big and well-known local derby with great atmospheres in the stadiums. He added that once a bid is rejected, the focus has to return to what he is doing at the weekend.
What the transfer battle means
The interest matters because both clubs are at different stages of squad building. Cardiff City had only signed Nathan Trott permanently in their summer business at the time of the article, so adding a player of Hjerto-Dahl's profile would be another significant move. Rangers, meanwhile, are trying to stay ahead in the chase by getting face time with Tromso in Norway.
For now, the key question is whether either club will get close enough to Tromso's asking price to force a breakthrough. The reported gap between Cardiff City's rejected £5.5million bid and the Norwegian club's nearer £8.5million valuation suggests there is still work to do, but the latest trip from Rangers shows the race is very much alive.
Has an improved bid been submitted yet? Based on the latest update, Cardiff City have reopened negotiations, but the available information does not confirm that a higher bid has already gone in. What is clear is that both Cardiff City and Rangers are pushing to sign Jens Hjerto-Dahl, and Tromso remain in a strong position as the talks continue.
