Brian Barry-Murphy has delivered a clear message to Cardiff City supporters over the club's transfer plans as speculation continues to intensify around a potential move for Norwegian midfielder Jens Hjerto-Dahl.
The Bluebirds are pushing hard to land the highly-rated Tromso star, with Cardiff having tabled an offer worth more than 100 million Norwegian kroner (£7.8million including add-ons), which would comfortably eclipse the Norwegian club's current transfer record.
It comes after Rangers also saw a bid rejected earlier this summer, with Cardiff now appearing to be leading the chase for one of Scandinavia's most sought-after young talents.
Working behind the scenes
While Barry-Murphy refused to discuss individual players following Cardiff's 5-1 pre-season victory over Forest Green Rovers, he acknowledged supporters' growing excitement and potential impatience surrounding the club's transfer activity and insisted work has been going on behind the scenes for some time.
Asked about the latest transfer rumours, the Cardiff boss said: "I think the biggest thing we can tell the supporters is that we are working very, very hard and have been for a prolonged period.
"We are very clear on what we need and who we want, it just takes time. I suppose when we have news we will let you know as soon as possible."
Although Hjerto-Dahl was not mentioned by name, the comments come as Cardiff continue negotiations with Tromso over the 20-year-old midfielder, who has emerged as Barry-Murphy's top target before the Championship season gets under way.
Financial commitment
The Bluebirds are understood to have made a significant financial commitment in an effort to secure the Norway international, with reports suggesting around £6.2million would be paid up front, with the overall package rising to approximately £7.8million through performance-related bonuses.
Tromso, however, remain under no pressure to sell. Sporting director Lars Petter Kræmer-Andressen has repeatedly insisted the Norwegian club are willing to be patient over any deal, with Hjerto-Dahl under contract and valued at around £8.5m.
The midfielder himself admitted earlier this week that Tromso's Europa League qualifier against FC Hradec Králové could potentially have been his final appearance for the club, although he stopped short of confirming an imminent transfer.
No panic
Barry-Murphy also dismissed any suggestion Cardiff were becoming anxious over the slow progress of their summer business, pointing instead to the impact the World Cup has had on the transfer market.
"No, no [panic]," he added. "Our intention is to give the supporters a team they feel really excited to watch in the first game of the season and beyond, and things in the summer are a little bit slower because of the World Cup.
"So, we are a very ambitious team, we have high hopes for the season, but we know we have to improve."
His comments came after Cardiff produced arguably their most impressive pre-season display yet, sweeping aside Forest Green thanks to a first-half hat-trick from Chris Willock, along with goals from Isaak Davies and Yousef Salech.
The Bluebirds now turn their attention to next weekend's glamour friendly against Roma before opening their Championship campaign at home to Wrexham on August 17.
