Rangers are internally preparing an improved transfer package to land Norwegian midfielder Jens Hjerto-Dahl after the player handed Ibrox a monumental boost by rejecting Besiktas.
The 20-year-old powerhouse has emerged as a key summer transfer target for manager Derek McInnes, who is intent on continuing his physical and athletic overhaul of the Light Blues squad.
It emerged on Tuesday that Rangers have tested the waters with a concrete £5.3million opening bid, which was promptly turned down by Eliteserien club Tromso.
Besiktas have already registered a concrete interest in signing the wonderkid, with the Gers’ rejected offer leading to fears that the Turkish giants may now snap him up.
However, local newspaper iTromso reports that the midfielder has entirely flipped the script on his future.
Hjerto-Dahl has admitted that Rangers are a way more tempting club for him than Besiktas.
With the player giving a clear green light to an Ibrox switch, the Rangers hierarchy are now readying a massive new counter-proposal.
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Hjerto-Dahl is the perfect profile for Rangers
Standing at a towering 6ft 4in, Hjerto-Dahl is the archetypal modern power-midfielder. Despite his immense physical presence, the youngster is lauded for his high-level technical control, drawing stylistic comparisons in Scandinavia like Paul Pogba and Sergio Busquets.
McInnes is likely to deploy a 4-4-2 formation at Ibrox after taking the reins at the club, and Hjerto-Dahl fits that exact blueprint seamlessly.
He is an elite box-to-box asset, ranking remarkably high for progressive ball carries, defensive aerial duels, and penalty box arrivals.
Hjerto-Dahl’s devastating start to the current Eliteserien campaign, which included a spectacular hat-trick, proves he has the clinical edge to match his defensive work rate.
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Time for Andrew Cavenagh to close the deal
Hjerto-Dahl’s approval has effectively stripped Tromso of considerable leverage regarding personal terms.
He has stated he is in no rush to leave Norway unless the exact right step presents itself, and he has pointed to Glasgow as that dream destination.
Tromso are fully aware that they are sitting on a goldmine and have been holding out for a fee closer to his true market value, which sits around the £8.4m mark.
Now that the player has cleared the path by removing Besiktas from the equation, the ball lands squarely in the court of Andrew Cavenagh.
Rangers are expected to return with an altered structural package to bridge the gap with Tromso.
If Cavenagh can finalise the numbers, McInnes will secure a truly transformative, elite midfield engine for the upcoming domestic and European campaign.
It remains to be seen what the pursuit of Hjerto-Dahl means for the Gers’ interest in FK Partizan captain Vanja Dragojevic.
