Latest news with #Hearts
Scotsman
28 minutes ago
- Sport
- Scotsman
St Johnstone boss looking at alternatives to ex-Hearts forward who 'has the power to walk out' of club
St Johnstone boss Simo Valakari has said he is already searching the transfer market for a Uche Ikpeazu replacement. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Former Hearts striker Uche Ikpeazu has reportedly turned down a new deal at St Johnstone that would see his release clause removed, meaning it can now be triggered any time before the summer window closes. This means the Perth Saints could be in the market for a new forward before Ikpeazu leaves the club due to Valakari wanting to cover his options in case a deal occurs, as it would leave him short on numbers in attack. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The 30-year-old striker has been reduced to cameos off the bench in the Premier Sports Cup and could see himself fall further down the pecking order at the Scottish Championship side. 'All the power is in Ikpeazu's hands' Speaking on the topic of Ikpeazu's future at The Saints, Valakari said: 'I have my club and my team to protect. We need to look at replacements because we don't know what will happen with him. 'All the power is in Uche's hands. As I have said, he has been training very well and is a good team-mate. 'He says he is a St Johnstone player and wants to play for the club. I believe him. But he understands the situation.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'We will need to get somebody in to replace him' On looking in the transfer market for a striker to replace the former Hearts striker before he leaves the club, the St Johnstone boss said: 'Of course, we have to look at a replacement at the same time. Maybe we will need to get somebody in. We can't just wait. 'That's the risk for Uche – maybe there will be more competition here and it will be even more difficult for him to get a game. As long as you are not clear that you are going to be here, we need to look at other ways. 'You can't have it all – that the team is built around you, but you still have the power to walk out. 'Knowing how football works, at the end of the window, there will be clubs who will need a striker, and if they can get a good, free one, they will go for it. Nobody can say that isn't the case.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The St Johnstone number nine played for Hearts for two years between 2018 and 2020. He made 40 appearances for The Jambos, scoring five goals before a move to Wycombe Wanderers. Ikpeazu then returned to Scotland with St Johnstone in 2024 to link up with his former boss at Hearts, Craig Levein, who was later sacked in September 2024. Your next Hearts read: Pierre Landry Kabore preparing for a Hearts debut against Aberdeen - transfer latest from Riccarton
Scotsman
28 minutes ago
- Sport
- Scotsman
Hearts v Dundee closed-door game ends in a four-goal thriller
Edinburgh club start the SPFL Premiership against Aberdeen on Monday Sign up to our Hearts newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Hearts and Dundee played a closed-door friendly at Riccarton this afternoon which ended in a 2-2 draw. Both sides used the fixture to give first-team players game time, with Yan Dhanda and Alexandros Kyziridis scoring for the home side. The Hearts team included many first-team squad members who need more match practice following this month's Premier Sports Cup ties. Head coach Derek McInnes is preparing his side for Monday's William Hill Premiership opening match against Aberdeen at Tynecastle Park. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Goalkeeper Ryan Fulton played along with defenders Adam Forrester, Michael Steinwender and Stephen Kingsley. Midfielders Dhanda and Sander Kartum, wingers Sabah Kerjota and Kyziridis, plus forward Kenneth Vargas, were all involved. Teenage defender Kenzi Nair also played after agreeing a co-operation loan deal with League Two side Spartans. More to follow....
BBC News
3 hours ago
- Sport
- BBC News
No excuses on recruitment as Hearts eye statement start
Hearts fans will simply not put up with another season like the last. And the evidence so far suggests the 2025-26 campaign could be a Derek McInnes in as manager the players have a leader who knows what is required to be a with the tools from Jamestown Analytics at his disposal, and already showing signs of success, there can be no excuses now that the thorny issue of recruitment should be an ongoing 16 goals in their four league cup matches with nine different players finding the net tells us Hearts can create multiple the acid test will come on Monday night under the Tynecastle lights against Aberdeen in their Premiership the full house will be a very special guest in the main stand watching with great Bloom, who has invested nearly £10m in the club over the summer, will be keen to have his first look at Hearts and see exactly how some of his cash is being win or lose on Monday Hearts will always be a big story this season. There are many changes taking place at the club behind the scenes and by December a new chairperson will have been appointed to succeed Ann will, however, remain on the board and her experience over the past 11 years will prove invaluable to her first and foremost it's results on the pitch fans want to see - and a victory on Monday against one of Hearts' biggest rivals this season would be an early statement of intent.
Scotsman
5 hours ago
- Sport
- Scotsman
Pierre Landry Kabore preparing for a Hearts debut against Aberdeen
Burkina Faso forward hopes to be involved in the Scottish Premiership opening game Sign up to our Hearts newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Pierre Landry Kabore is preparing for a Hearts debut against Aberdeen in Monday's opening Scottish Premiership match. Tynecastle officials are still awaiting final work permit confirmation from the UK Home Office to complete Kabore's transfer from the Estonian club JK Narva Trans. It is expected to arrive any day, and Kabore will be in the squad to face Aberdeen if paperwork is cleared in time. The 24-year-old is doing fitness work to ensure he is ready for competitive action after arriving in Edinburgh three weeks ago. He is eager to finalise his move but had to go through the immigration process as an African entering the UK. While Albanian winger Sabah Kerjota's move from the Italian club Sambenedettese was completed last week, Kabore is still waiting. He has watched Hearts' Premier Sports Cup and friendly matches from the stand throughout the month. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Head coach Derek McInnes will include Kabore in his squad for Monday night provided all the relevant documentation is in place. Several of the Riccarton first-team squad will be involved in a closed-door bounce match today - which would also have included Kabore had his transfer been finalised. When asked by the Edinburgh News if he intends using the Burkina Faso internationalist against Aberdeen, McInnes confirmed: 'Yes, totally. I wanted him to play today [in the closed-door game].' Kabore is frustrated by the delay as he looks to begin the next phase of his career. He scored 22 goals in 20 appearances for Narva Trans since the turn of the year and was their biggest asset before Hearts moved to bring him to Scotland. He joined the Estonian side from FC D'Abodo in Ivory Coast last year. His previous clubs include Sonabel, Salitas and ASF Bobo in Burkina Faso. He holds two caps for his country and is regarded as one of their most promising players. Kabore played much of his career as a right winger, also operating on the left, but many of his goals for Narva Trans came when he was used as a striker. Hearts intend to deploy him in different areas across their front line to utilise his goal threat. He will be asked to play up front as well as out wide whilst McInnes determines where suits the player best. Latest Hearts transfer target due in Scotland Another Hearts transfer target, midfielder Tomas Bent Magnusson, is due in Scotland this week to finalise his move from Valur Reykjavik. Officials at the Icelandic club have agreed terms with Tynecastle counterparts, and the 22-year-old will undergo a medical in Edinburgh before signing a long-term contract. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Valur left the player out of their Besta Deild Karla league win against Hafnarfjordur on Sunday in the knowledge that he has played his last game for them. Hearts made an official approach for Magnusson last week as McInnes looks to strengthen midfield options ahead of the new Scottish Premiership season. Provided there are no late setbacks, he could be signed before Aberdeen visit Tynecastle on Monday but it remains to be seen if he will feature in that match. Speaking exclusively to the Edinburgh News, the Valur football chairman Bjorn Steinar Jonsson explained that the six-figure deal with Hearts is close to being completed. 'It's more or less in place. We are just working on finalising that today,' he said on Monday. 'I met Tomas last night at our game and he was not sure which day he will go. Probably in the next few days he will travel to Scotland for a medical.' READ MORE: Three Hearts players fighting to be fit for Aberdeen opener
Scotsman
7 hours ago
- Sport
- Scotsman
Three Hearts players fighting to be fit for the SPFL Premiership opener against Aberdeen
Season 2025/26 begins at Tynecastle in front of the Sky Sports cameras Sign up to our Hearts newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Three Hearts players must prove their fitness over the coming days to be ready for Monday's opening Premiership game against Aberdeen. Management hope to have midfielders Calem Nieuwenhof and Beni Baningime available along with defender Christian Borchgrevink, with all three fighting to be ready in time. Head coach Derek McInnes is already without centre-back Jamie McCart through injury and midfielder Yan Dhanda because of suspension. Monday marks McInnes' league debut in charge of Hearts and a full crowd is expected at Tynecastle Park for a match Sky Sports will broadcast live. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The next few days will determine which of the three injured players can make the squad. Nieuwenhof was substituted after 22 minutes of Saturday's friendly against Sunderland due to tightness in his hamstring. The 24-year-old's issue is not thought to be serious, though, as McInnes explained to the Edinburgh News. 'I spoke to Calem and the physios and they don't seem too concerned about it. We are hoping he will train later in the week, Friday into Saturday,' said the manager. 'I don't think he feels it's too bad so it's a wee bit precautionary. We haven't sent him for a scan or anything. If we were worried about it, we probably would have. It will just be seeing how Calem comes through when he's back training. If he has a clean bill of health then he will be available for Monday. I expect him to be available, based on what I'm being told. The good thing is he has that extra bit of time with the game still five days away. I think he'll be alright.' Baningime missed the last two of Hearts' four Premier Sports Cup group matches, plus the Sunderland friendly, because of a slight medial ligament strain caused by slipping in training. 'Beni still has a wee bit more work to do,' admitted McInnes. 'He's back running on Thursday and, if he comes through that, then hopefully he might be able to train by the weekend. That one is still a bit more of a doubt, but we certainly haven't ruled him out for Monday. I wouldn't want to rule Beni out.' Scottish Premiership kick-off on the horizon Right-back Borchgrevink was withdrawn at half-time in Hearts' third Premier Sports Cup tie at Stirling Albion and hasn't featured since. He also has a hamstring issue but McInnes is confident he will be ready for the Aberdeen fixture. The Norwegian is due to train with the first team at Riccarton today before Hearts play a closed-door bounce game. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Borchgrevink will train today. We will just avoid playing him in the game because he only did part of the session yesterday,' explained McInnes. 'We took the liberty just to train him so we can control that a wee bit more, rather than playing him in the game. I don't think he is too much of a concern for Monday. I think he will be fine. 'I thought young Adam Forrester did well on Saturday so we're delighted with him. He will play in the game today to top his minutes up. The closed-door game just gives everybody a chance to be ready for the game on Monday, if called upon.'
