April is a day away, and Glasgow Rangers are still waiting for that moment of real success since the January arrival of Ryan Naderi, with the German striker set to catch fire at Ibrox in recent months.
Signed on deadline day in a £4.7m deal, the 22-year-old has scored just two goals for the Light Blues, none of which have come in the Premiership, having just earned his first assist after setting up Mike Moore in last week’s 4-1 win.
Operating as a second striker or number ten, behind Youssef Chermiti, the former Hansa Rostock man is struggling to find a real connection with the Portuguese marker, even with the Gers still firmly in the title mix.
|
He started Naderi’s Premiership game |
|
|---|---|
|
Statistics (*per game) |
Record |
|
Games (beginning) |
7 (4) |
|
Goals |
0 |
|
Great opportunities are not missed |
4 |
|
It helps |
1 |
|
Great opportunities have been created |
0 |
|
Total shots* |
1.7 |
|
Pass accuracy* |
70% |
|
Key passes* |
0.6 |
|
Successful dribbles* |
0.1 |
|
Total winnings* |
32% |
Danny Rohl’s deployment of two central midfielders, with Naderi acting as a link, has yet to bear fruit, with the addition of a natural striker or centre-forward a potential solution to shore up the club’s floundering front line.
Rangers are making a move to sign the £9m midfielder
As for Rangers’ usual midfield search, reports have suggested the Glasgow side are still in the mix for deep-lying option Silas Andersen, with the BK Hacken starlet also attracting interest from Celtic and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
It has been revealed that Wolves are leading the race for his signature, however, Rohl and his teammates may have missed out on their chance in January, amid allegations that they were in the running during the winter.
That said, another January target could emerge as the most prominent option of the summer, with Tromso’s Jens Hjerto-Dahl once again believed to be in the Gers’ crosshairs.
As reported by Italian outlet Il Resto Del Carlino, Rangers are believed to have made way ahead of a potential move for the Norway U21 international, with the likes of Bologna – and Celtic – also in the picture.
The 20-year-old – as was the case with Andersen – will not come cheap to any suitors, if reports are anything to go by, the Norwegian outfit could be looking for around €10m (£9m) or €8m (£7m).
The Guardians are said to be pushing for a deal no matter what, as the race is on to see if they can snap up the high-quality, much-needed talent.
Why Hjerto-Dahl would be a quick upgrade for Naderi
If it’s a midfielder for the Gers, the aforementioned Andersen should be the man, with the Scandinavian star a monster in front of the back four, while also being able to play centrally at the back.
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In the case of Hjerto-Dahl, the Tromso “sensation” – as praised by journalist Pete O’Rourke – can also work as a defensive midfielder and a central midfielder, although in an advanced role where his talents can be better used.
If he is inserted in something of a 4-2-3-1 or 4-2-2-2, there is no reason why he could not replace Naderi in that position of the tenth or second striker, who just started the new Norwegian league season with a hat-trick against Fredrikstad.
Operating as a left-side box-to-box option in the midfield trio in that 4-0 win, Hjerto-Dahl was dangerous in an attacking sense, registering seven shots in total, completing 100% of his dribbles and recording 17 clearances in total.
That willingness to move forward could ensure he can work in Naderi’s place, as part of a midfield duo, having now scored 24 goals and assisted in 89 games for his current club so far.
Compared to the old talisman of Lazio, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic – another tall midfielder who always plays a more advanced role – the 6 foot 3 sensation can add a different dimension to Rohl’s midfield and forward, providing that real link between the two departments.
On current evidence, Naderi is not doing well in this link-up role, as his tally of one goal in the Premiership has come from seven competitions, albeit only four of those.
Technically, the German has been found wanting, averaging 0.6 key passes per game and failing to create a single ‘big chance’, perhaps feeling that both he and Chermiti are too similar to thrive together.
Hjerti-Dahl, on the other hand, is a prolific creator and goalscorer in equal measure, with the 2025 Eliteserien campaign seeing him create five ‘big chances’, while averaging a key pass per game from his 30 outings.
Not just on potential tag size alone, the youngster arguably represents a more exciting talent than Naderi, and this is a deal worth pursuing as far as Rohl is concerned.
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