​Rangers hold the cards in the race for Tromso midfielder Jens Hjerto-Dahl. Positive talks have already taken place with the 20-year-old’s representatives, and the word from inside the camp is clear. If the money is right, he chooses Glasgow. Cardiff City want him too, but the allure of European nights at Ibrox and guaranteed first-team minutes gives the Scottish giants a massive advantage. (Via Transfer Feed)Tromso are holding out for £7 million. It is a steep price tag for a player who has never kicked a ball outside the Eliteserien, but the young playmaker has made it known he prefers a move to Scotland over grinding it out in the English Championship. With Cardiff hovering, a decision needs to come quickly.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementGLASGOW, SCOTLAND – MAY 10: James Tavernier of Rangers is substituted during the Premier League match between Celtic and Rangers at Celtic Park on May 10, 2026 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)The hype is backed up by serious production. Six goals and two assists in 13 league appearances from central midfield this season tell their own story. Hjerto-Dahl is an absolute unit, bringing exactly the kind of physical profile Derek McInnes loves in the engine room. He has been averaging a 7.4 FotMob rating, playing almost every single minute for his club.Naturally, comparisons will be drawn to Nicolas Raskin, who looks destined for the exit door this summer. Filling that void is priority number one, and a towering midfielder with two Young Player of the Month awards and a spot on the CIES top-100 teenage list makes him an ideal option. He plays with an elegance that has earned him loose style comparisons to Paul Pogba and Sergio Busquets back home.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe main sticking point is cash. Rangers have already seen a £5.3 million bid knocked back, and Tromso sports director Lars Petter Kraemer-Andressen has publicly stated that the club expect a premium for their prize asset. With a contract running until 2027, the Norwegians are under zero pressure to sell on the cheap.Rangers have already spent heavily in this window on the likes of Ivor Pandur, Ross McCrorie, Dan Neil, and Ben Godfrey. Shelling out the full £7 million upfront right now feels reckless, especially when the player has already done the hard work by stating his preference for Ibrox.The smartest move is to wait for the Raskin money to drop before making the next move. McInnes should use Hjerto-Dahl’s desire to join the club as leverage to negotiate a deal structured around £5.5 million to £6 million with performance-related add-ons. Overpaying just because Cardiff entered the room makes little sense when there are other midfield targets on the radar.