Rangers have seen their opening offer for Jens Hjerto-Dahl rejected, with Tromso standing firm on a £7.5million asking price for the Norwegian midfielder.
The Scottish club submitted a £5.3million bid for the 20-year-old, which was swiftly turned down by the Norwegian outfit who remain confident in their valuation.
Rangers have been heavily linked with the playmaker over the past 12 months, tracking his development closely as one of Norway’s most exciting young prospects.
Hjerto-Dahl, a Norway U21 international, has previously described the prospect of joining Rangers as “tempting” and has even watched Old Firm matches to understand what Scottish football demands.
The youngster was on the scoresheet as Tromso delivered an emphatic 4-0 victory over Valerenga on Saturday, underlining his importance to the club at a critical time in transfer negotiations.
Despite the speculation swirling around his future, Hjerto-Dahl insists he is trying to remain composed until something more definitive emerges from the interest shown by Rangers.
Speaking to I Tromso after the match, he said: “You have to try to have a relaxed attitude towards it, but take a position on things that become concrete. There are some things that are a bit beyond my control.”
He added: “You have plenty of time. In collaboration with Lars Petter (Andressen, sporting director) and my agent, it is possible to think about it a bit. You can’t put it all away, but I try.”
Hjerto-Dahl also acknowledged the volume of questions surrounding the speculation, saying: “There are a lot of questions, that’s the only thing people want to talk about. It’s just nice, it’s because people care.”
Tromso sporting director Petter Andressen confirmed that Rangers are not the only club pursuing the talented midfielder this summer.
Andressen said: “There have been a few quiet days now, but there have been negotiations over the past week. We’ll see what happens, it could take a while.”
He made clear the club’s position, stating: “Several clubs are interested, but a lot has to fall into place for something to happen. If he’s going to move on, it has to be a club Jens wants to go to, and we also have quite high expectations for the price. It’s not certain he’ll leave.”
The comments suggest Rangers face genuine competition for Hjerto-Dahl’s signature, with the transfer battle potentially extending well beyond the early weeks of the summer window.
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