Rangers remain firmly in the picture for Tromso midfielder Jens Hjerto-Dahl despite growing confidence within Cardiff City that they can land one of Norway's brightest young talents.
The Championship side are continuing talks over a deal for the 20-year-old, with owner Vincent Tan taking a close interest in negotiations as boss Brian Barry-Murphy looks to strengthen his newly promoted squad.
Cardiff are believed to be optimistic behind the scenes, but Rangers' interest has not disappeared.
The Ibrox club have monitored Hjerto-Dahl throughout the summer after interest in January and previously saw an opening bid reportedly rejected by Tromso.
While reports in Wales suggest Rangers' pursuit has cooled following progress on other midfield targets, the situation is more nuanced than that.
Rangers close in on Vanja Dragojevic deal
Rangers are on the verge of completing the £4million signing of Serbian midfielder Vanja Dragojevic from Partizan, with the deal now all but completed ahead of an official announcement expected in the coming days.
However, Dragojevic's arrival does not necessarily end the club's interest in Hjerto-Dahl.
The Norwegian has remained high on Rangers' shortlist throughout the window, and the club continue to admire his profile despite strengthening in midfield.
Rangers moving pieces at present
Financially, Rangers could yet receive a significant boost.
The midfielder has done little to reduce speculation surrounding his future.
Speaking recently to Nordlys, Hjerto-Dahl said: "There is a lot of speculation at the moment, people are shooting from the hip a bit and think they know what is happening. We will see what happens in the end."
The 20-year-old has enjoyed an outstanding campaign in Scandanavia, scoring seven league goals while establishing himself as one of the Eliteserien's standout performers. Comfortable operating as a holding midfielder or driving forward from deeper positions, Hjerto-Dahl has attracted interest from several clubs across Europe.
Cardiff may currently believe they are leading the race, but Rangers remain well aware of the player's qualities.
A busy engine room at Ibrox
With Dragojevic's arrival effectively wrapped up and the possibility of fresh transfer funds if Gassama departs, Rangers could yet re-enter the battle before deadline day if the opportunity presents itself.
New Gers manager Derek McInnes has already added central midfield reinforcements in the shape of former Sunderland captain Dan Neil and ex-Hearts enforcer Cammy Devlin.
He has also signed his former Jambo skipper Lawrence Shankland, goalkeeper Ivan Pandur and defenders Ross McCrorie and Ben Godfrey this summer, although Shankland was signed before he replaced Danny Rohl in the Ibrox hotseat.
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