NafisaRangers appear to have landed a significant transfer victory over bitter rivals Celtic after reports suggested Derek McInnes has convinced one of Scotland’s most sought-after young midfielders to choose Ibrox over Parkhead.
The Light Blues have wasted little time reshaping their squad this summer following last season’s disappointing campaign, with McInnes already bringing in Lawrence Shankland, Dan Neil, Cammy Devlin, Ben Godfrey, Ross McCrorie and Ivor Pandur as he looks to build a team capable of challenging for the Scottish Premiership title.
However, Rangers’ pursuit of Tromso sensation Jens Hjerto-Dahl has arguably become one of the most closely followed transfer stories of the window, particularly with Celtic also credited with an interest in the highly-rated Norwegian.
The 20-year-old has attracted attention from several clubs after an outstanding campaign in Norway, where he scored six goals and supplied two assists in just 13 league appearances. Cardiff City also entered the race and even had a bid rejected, while Tromso continued to demand a fee in the region of £6.6million.
Despite receiving interest from elsewhere, reports now suggest Hjerto-Dahl has made his decision.
According to GIVEMESPORT correspondent Sam Cohen, the midfielder has agreed personal terms with Rangers after holding talks with McInnes and has made it clear that Ibrox is his preferred destination.
The report adds that both Rangers and Celtic presented contract offers, but Hjerto-Dahl has chosen the project at Ibrox ahead of the Scottish champions.
Club-to-club negotiations are still ongoing, with Rangers having already seen two bids rejected, but significant progress has reportedly been made over the past 24 hours. An agreement between the two clubs is now believed to be edging closer as Rangers continue working on player sales to generate the funds required to complete the transfer.
Landing Hjerto-Dahl would represent another major statement from McInnes as he continues his rebuild.
The Norwegian is regarded as one of the brightest midfield prospects in Scandinavia and would add energy, athleticism and creativity to the Rangers engine room.
His arrival would also underline the club’s determination to invest in young players with significant resale value while strengthening a squad that underperformed last season.
With several new faces already through the door and more expected before the transfer window closes, Rangers supporters have every reason to believe McInnes is assembling a squad capable of mounting a serious title challenge.
If the final agreement with Tromso is completed, Hjerto-Dahl could soon become the latest addition to the growing Ibrox revolution, giving Rangers another major boost ahead of the new campaign.
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