How Rangers struck gold on £600k star who’s now worth more than Hjerto-Dahl

Glasgow Rangers manager Derek McInnes may be turning his attention to the middle of the park after bolstering the defence with three new additions.

Ross McCrorie, Ben Godfrey, and Ivor Pandur have all been brought in to attempt to improve the side’s backline, whilst Dan Neil is the only midfielder who has signed so far.

McInnes is now pursuing a deal to sign Tromso central midfielder Jens Hjerto-Dahl, who is keen on a move to Ibrox, before the end of the summer transfer window.

The Norwegian side, though, are looking for a fee in the region of £8.5m for the 20-year-old talent, and it remains to be seen if they will be willing to lower their expectations.

The Rangers star who could be impacted negatively from Hjerto-Dahl joining

Whilst supporters love transfer rumours and new signings and the excitement that comes along with it, some current players may be left worried by the club’s pursuit of Hjerto-Dahl.

Any new signing coming in takes away opportunities from players in the current squad, and that could be the case for Rangers midfielder Connor Barron if the club agree a deal for the Norwegian ace.

The change from a 4-3-3 to a 4-2-2-2 system under Danny Rohl negatively impacted the Scotland international, because he excels as a box-to-box midfielder in a three, but does not have the physicality or outstanding technical quality to play in a two.

That was why he only started four of the last ten games of the season, failing to play more than 18 minutes in six of those games, before Rohl’s departure, in the Scottish Premiership.

The former Aberdeen star only started 16 times in the league over the course of the campaign and the arrival of Hjerto-Dahl would put another player between him and a starting berth, with Tochi Chukwuani, Nico Raskin, Neil, and Mohamed Diomande already at the club.

Rangers star is already worth more than Jens Hjerto-Dahl

A player moving on from Ibrox does not always have to be viewed as a negative, though, as the Gers have made profit on selling the likes of Hamza Igamane and Calvin Bassey in recent years, providing them with funds to bring in fresh recruits.

Rangers agreed a compensation package of £600k to sign Barron from Aberdeen after his contract expired in the summer of 2024, and it is fair to say that they struck gold with that deal.

Even without establishing himself as a guaranteed starter at Ibrox, the 23-year-old talent has seen his value soar and is now worth even more than Hjerto-Dahl.

Barron produced solid enough performances for Rangers in the Premiership, delivering reliable passing and a combative presence in midfield, but that did not land him a regular starting role.

The Scottish ace, who did start 23 of his 28 appearances in the league in the 2024/25 campaign under Philippe Clement and Barry Ferguson, has proven himself to be an excellent squad player in the past two years.

Despite not being a nailed-on starter, the central midfield star’s value has soared since the club picked him up for £600k, and the Light Blues could cash in to make a profit on him this summer.

TEAMtalk recently claimed that the Gers value Barron at a fee of up to £10m amid interest from Serie A side Bologna, which makes him worth more than the £8.5m that Tromso want for Hjerto-Dahl.

McInnes and the board could pull off a masterstroke, therefore, by selling Barron to Bologna for a potential fee of £10m and then reinvesting £8.5m of that to bring in Hjerto-Dahl.

That would mean that the Scottish star does not have to worry about the Norwegian midfielder taking his place, as he will be at a new club, and the Gers can bank a profit on the two deals in the process.

It is now down to Bologna to show serious interest in the ex-Aberdeen star, though, and for the Light Blues to reach an agreement with Tromso for the 20-year-old talent.