West Ham get transfer response from £8m Tomas Soucek successor Jens Hjerto-Dahl

Yet, 31 years of age and just over 12 months left on his contract, the Hammers appear to be in pursuit of a long-term successor.

What changes are you making to this team? Just don’t think Wilson should start 😬

Norway Under-21 giant Jens Hjerto-Dahl was linked by TV 2 last month.

But as Turkish giants Besiktas found out the hard way during the winter window, convincing Hjerto-Dahl to turn his back on his beloved Tromso is not without its challenges.

Jens Hjerto-Dahl in no rush as West Ham United sniff around

Speaking to VG, Hjerto-Dahl reflects on his decision to turn down a £6.3 million move to Besiktas, while lifting the lid a little on his mindset ahead of the summer.

“You try not to think about it,” says the 6ft 4ins powerhouse, keeping those West Ham links at arm’s length. “(Moving to Turkey) didn’t feel right at all. I really want the next step to be right.”

Hjerto-Dahl, who has previously cited Paul Pogba, Sergio Busquets and Ivan Rakitic as icons, views the journey taken by Norway superstar Erling Haaland as particularly inspirational.

This does not necessarily mean he will join Manchester City’s irrepressible number nine on English soil, though. Haaland enjoyed prolific stints at Red Bull Salzburg and Borussia Dortmund before joining Man City.

“Haaland has taken the perfect path. There is never anything right or wrong, but you take inspiration from the path he has taken in particular. What he has done proves that it can help you on your way, and suddenly you explode,” adds Hjerto-Dahl.

“The club that presents itself has to feel right. If something comes along that gives me the feeling of ‘yes, this felt good, cool league, cool team’, of course you jump on it.

“For me, it is very important that they get involved, care, and want to be part of the journey. It’s about seeing how good I can become. That’s what’s fun. Putting in the work, seeing that I’m developing in different things.”

Torino’s former Chelsea starlet Cesare Casadei has been linked

Reports indicate that Tromso values ​​Hjerto-Dahl at around £8 million.

The 20-year-old has scored four times in his first eight appearances of 2026. He even produced a hat-trick of headers in March’s 4-0 thrashing of Fredrikstad.

Not even Soucek has managed this before.

Torino’s Cesare Casadei is another Soucek-esque box-crasher reportedly on the Hammers’ radar heading into the summer. Former Leicester City loanee Casadei left Chelsea due to a lack of first-team opportunities, and has also proven himself to be a fairly reliable source of goals from a midfield role.