Cardiff City set to suffer brutal transfer twist as Rangers close in on £6.6m deal | OneFootball

Rangers are closing in on a £6.6 million deal for one of Cardiff City's primary summer targets, with Brian Barry-Murphy's side set to miss out...

Cardiff City and Rangers have been in a battle for a key transfer target this summer, with Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Ham United also sniffing.

Wolves and West Ham are likely to find themselves competing for a number of the same transfer targets this summer, particularly younger players with Premier League potential who could help drive an immediate promotion push.

However, Cardiff City may occasionally have an unexpected advantage in those battles. As a newly promoted side, the Bluebirds can often offer something the two relegated clubs cannot via a clearer pathway to regular first-team football. Wolves and West Ham still possess squads packed with proven quality.

That means new arrivals may face fierce competition for minutes. Cardiff, by contrast, can provide greater certainty over opportunities and development, which could be the difference for ambitious young players prioritising game time over joining one of the Championship's bigger names.

Jens Hjerto-Dahl set for Rangers move over Cardiff City

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Norwegian outlet TV 2 reported in April that West Ham, Wolves, Benfica, Sporting CP and Hamburger SV were all interested in a summer move for Jens Hjerto-Dahl.

In recent days, Cardiff's interest in Hjerto-Dahl spiked, and it looked as though they might be the ones to win the race over a plethora of names in the mix, but Scottish giants Rangers were also bidding for Hjerto-Dahl this week.

It was yesterday, via Sky Sports, that Cardiff were advancing in negotiations with Tromso for midfielder Hjerto-Dahl. It was understood the clubs were edging closer to an agreement, with the Norwegian side rejecting a £5.5 million bid from Cardiff earlier this week.

If the clubs could work out a deal, then it was reported Cardiff would still need to agree personal terms for the 20-year-old, who is keen to weigh-up all his options.

Anthony Joseph provided that update, but he also stated four days ago that Hjerto-Dahl preferred a move to Ibrox. It appears his wish is set to come true, with GiveMeSport journalist Sam Cohen on X adding that he only wants Rangers, and they were close to a club-to-club agreement.

He adds that the Norwegian under-21 star has agreed personal terms after making it clear Ibrox is his preferred destination, believing he can thrive under the manager - Derek McInnes has fully convinced the player of the project.

Hjerto-Dahl has also turned down personal terms from both Celtic and Cardiff, despite both offers being more enticing financially. Rangers have seen two bids rejected but are now closing in on Tromso's valuation after significant progress in talks over the last 24 hours.

He states that negotiations continue, with Rangers also pushing through outgoings to free up the funds for a deal worth around €7.8 million (£6.6 million) guaranteed, plus add-ons.

Cardiff City have to maintain their transfer strategy despite Jens Hjerto-Dahl setback

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Missing out on Hjerto-Dahl is absolutely a significant disappointment for Cardiff because he represented exactly the type of signing the club should be targeting following promotion.

Rather than simply assembling a squad to survive in the Championship, the Bluebirds need to build for the future by recruiting players with genuine resale value and the potential to develop. Hjerto-Dahl fitted that profile perfectly. At a relatively modest cost, he looked like the sort of player who could grow alongside Cardiff as they establish themselves in the second tier.

If not grow with them, then he could be sold for a healthy profit after a season or two of further development. Those are the market opportunities successful Championship clubs often capitalise on. Losing him to Rangers is a setback, with Cardiff missing out on a talented young asset who could have strengthened both their squad and their long-term financial position.

They need to ensure those sorts of difficult young signings are still a part of their strategy this summer, in spite of already missing out on one. For a club of their standing, it makes enormous sense to take these calculated risks. Hjerto-Dahl looked like being a big statement of intent considering the fee involved.