Rangers transfer target favours Ibrox move over competitor as pundit predicts current club last dance
Sought after star makes his feelings on his future clear
Rangers transfer target Jens Hjerto-Dahl wasn’t one to mince his words after his most recent game for Tromso as the midfielder claimed he would ‘prefer’ a move to Ibrox over Besiktas.
The Turkish giants have also been monitoring the 20-year old since January, however, it now appears Rangers have their noses in front in the race. Before naming Glasgow as his preferred destination, Hjerto-Dahl scored in Tromso’s 4-0 win over Valerenga, a match which Norwegian pundit Haakon Frydenberg Thon thinks could be his last in the Eliteserien. Local reports suggest the Light Blues have already had an opening bid of £5.3m rejected by Tromso, which they are willing to improve on.
Rangers boss Derek McInnes completed the signing of Cammy Devlin to help bolster the midfield after he missed the deadline to renew his Hearts contract. The club also enlisted free agent Dan Neil in the middle of the park, but are still looking for more options. Partizan captain Vanja Dragojevic is also being pursued.
Hjerto-Dahl favours Rangers move
Speaking after Tromso’s win on July 11, Hjerto-Dahl admitted he would favour a Glasgow move and is willing to wait. He said: "I still prefer Rangers over Besiktas, but I am prepared for the fact that it could take a long time before a move to a new club is finalised."
Besiktas have also reportedly tabled a bid for the towering 6’ 2” midfielder, whose strike against Valerenga took his goal tally up to six for the season in 13 games. Hjerto-Dahl is under contract at his boyhood club Tromso until 2029, however TV2 pundit Thon believes he is nearing the end. He claimed: “That is maybe the last thing he does for Tromso."
How much are Tromso looking to sell Hjerto-Dahl for?
According to the iTromso, the Eliteserien league leaders are planning to hold firm on their £7.5m price tag for Hjerto-Dahl, who despite his young age has already made over 100 career appearances. He grew up in the town of Tromso and arrived at the club when he was only six years old in 2011.
Manager Jorgen Vik indicated that the writing may already be on the wall regarding his exit: He said: "In every club, players have their price. I'm very happy that they're with us tomorrow, and I definitely plan to have them with us going forward. We'll see."
Cammy Devlin became the sixth signing of the summer for Rangers after Lawrence Shankland, Ross McCrorie, Ben Godfrey, Ivor Pandur and Dan Neil. While Hjerto-Dahl may not quite fit the same bill as McInnes-type players with leadership experience and knowledge of the club, his future potential still makes him an attractive asset for the Light Blues.