Rangers remain firmly in the race to sign Jens Hjerto-Dahl after Cardiff City's opening bid for the Tromso midfielder was rejected.
According to Sky Sports News reporter Anthony Joseph, the Championship side have seen a £5.5 million offer turned down, with Tromso holding out for a package worth at least £6.8m (€8m), plus add-ons.
Despite Cardiff's approach, Rangers remain in talks over a potential deal and have been handed encouragement by the player's preference.
It is understood Hjerto-Dahl would favour a move to Ibrox if an agreement can be reached between the clubs.
The 20-year-old has been on Rangers' radar for some time, having first emerged as a target during the January transfer window before interest cooled ahead of the summer.
However, with Derek McInnes continuing his squad rebuild, central midfield remains an area of focus despite several additions already arriving.
Cammy Devlin and Dan Neil have strengthened Rangers' options in the middle of the park, while Mohamed Diomande, Nicolas Raskin, Connor Barron, Tochi Chukwuani, Nedim Bajrami, Thelo Aasgaard and Lyall Cameron also provide competition.
Barron, Raskin and Aasgaard have all been linked with moves to Italy this summer.
Rangers have targetted a Scottish-core in the early weeks of the summer window. Signing Lawrence Shankland and Ross McCrorie alongside SPFL experienced former Hearts midfielder Cammy Devlin.
Even so, Rangers have continued to assess younger midfield talent capable of developing into long-term assets, with Hjerto-Dahl fitting that profile.
The Norway Under-21 international has impressed for Tromso with his technical ability, composure in possession and maturity beyond his years, attracting interest from clubs across Europe.
Any deal is unlikely to come cheaply.
Tromso's valuation significantly exceeds Cardiff's initial offer, meaning Rangers would likely need to commit to one of the largest transfer fees of the McInnes era should they decide to press ahead with negotiations.
The midfielder's reported preference for Ibrox could yet prove crucial, however, with Rangers still in the conversation despite increasing competition for one of Norwegian football's brightest young talents.
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