Cardiff City’s pursuit of Jens Hjerto-Dahl remains in play after the Norwegian midfielder admitted he is “excited” by growing transfer interest following what could prove to be his final European appearance for Tromsø.
The 20-year-old started Thursday night’s Europa League second qualifying round second leg against Hradec Králové, but was substituted in the 73rd minute as the Norwegian side slipped to a 3-1 defeat, losing 4-1 on aggregate and dropping into the Conference League qualifiers.
With Cardiff, Hull City and RB Salzburg all circling, many in Norway believe it may have been Hjerto-Dahl’s last European outing for Tromsø. But speaking after the match, the midfielder insisted there are no immediate plans to leave the club.
Asked about increasing speculation linking him with Salzburg and Hull City, Hjerto-Dahl admitted to Nordlys: “It’s exciting.”
When asked whether he would be travelling directly to his next club, he replied: “No, to Ålesund.”
He did, however, say he was “flattered” by Premier League interest in relation to Hull.
Pressed on whether anything was expected to happen immediately, he added: “No, nothing is planned. You never know, though. Things can happen very quickly. But as things stand, my plan is to go to Ålesund.”
Tromsø play Ålesund in the Eliteserien on Sunday.
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HullLive reported that Tigers scouts were keeping a keen eye on Hjerto-Dahl on Thursday night, while Austrian giants RB Salzburg continue to be credited with serious interest in the Norway under-21 international.
Asked whether Austria, with the prospect of Champions League football, or a move to the Premier League sounded more appealing, Hjerto-Dahl smiled but refused to be drawn.
“That’s not something I’m going to comment on,” he said.
Despite enduring a frustrating evening in the Czech Republic, Hjerto-Dahl insisted transfer speculation has not affected his performances.
“It definitely wasn’t my best match,” he admitted.
“It was difficult today. I wasn’t able to produce what I needed to in order to perform at the level I know I can. They made it difficult, and at this level you have to produce that little bit extra if you’re going to progress.”
Asked whether thoughts about his future could be creeping into his mind during matches, he replied: “I try to keep all of that separate, especially when it comes to matches. My focus is on the game. Everything else I try to keep at a distance.”
Team-mate says goodbye
There was, however, one departure confirmed after the final whistle. Join the Cardiff City breaking news and top stories WhatsApp community.
Defender Tobias Guddal did not return on the Tromsø team bus after the defeat, instead leaving the stadium in a red car alongside his agents and representatives of his new club, Sparta Prague.
Both head coach Jørgen Vik and captain Ruben Yttergård Jenssen confirmed Guddal had already said his goodbyes to team-mates in the dressing room before leaving, signalling the end of his spell with the Norwegian club.
Whether Hjerto-Dahl follows him out of the exit door remains to be seen, but his future continues to dominate attention.
It was thought that both Guddal and Hjerto-Dahl would likely play their final games for the club if they were dumped out of Europe on Thursday night and, in Guddal’s case, that is one domino which has fallen for Tromsø.
Two clubs drop out of race
There also appears to have been a significant shift in the race for Hjerto-Dahl’s signature, with two previously interested clubs now understood to be out of the running.
According to the Daily Record, Rangers are no longer pursuing the midfielder after cooling their interest earlier this month. The report states the Ibrox club have now ended their pursuit altogether despite previously monitoring the highly-rated youngster.
Meanwhile, Turkish journalist Ertan Süzgün reports Beşiktaş are also unlikely to revive their long-standing interest. The Turkish side had a bid accepted for Hjerto-Dahl in January and have again been offered the chance to sign him this summer, but are now understood to be prioritising different profiles.
Those developments potentially narrow the field, although competition remains fierce.
Cardiff stance unchanged
As WalesOnline revealed this week, Hjerto-Dahl remains one of Cardiff City’s priority transfer targets.
The Bluebirds lodged an improved second offer worth around £7.8million, including approximately £6.2m guaranteed up front.
Tromsø have since responded with a counter-proposal, although WalesOnline understands Cardiff are yet to formally reply.
Negotiations remain ongoing.
Since Cardiff submitted that improved bid, Hull City have entered the race, while RB Salzburg have emerged as another serious contender, with boss Danny Röhl understood to be a long-time admirer of the midfielder from his time at Rangers.
Despite that increased competition, Cardiff’s interest has not wavered.
The size of the offer already placed on the table underlines just how highly Brian Barry-Murphy and the club’s recruitment department rate the Norway under-21 international.
However, there is also recognition inside Cardiff that midfield is only one area requiring reinforcement. The Bluebirds are still looking to strengthen several positions before the Championship campaign gets under way, meaning the board must balance any further increase for Hjerto-Dahl against the need to complete other deals already in progress.
Incomings are expected at Cardiff next week.
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