5 reasons Hearts fans should be excited by possible signing number three amid defender transfer talks

Hearts are seeking defensive reinforcement and could turn to Michael Steinwender as their man.

As reported by the Edinburgh Evening News this week, talks have taken place between Tynecastle officials and Steinwender’s Swedish club, IFK Varnamo. He is keen to spend the next chapter of his career in Scotland as Neil Critchley hunts signing number three of the January transfer window.

Jamie McCart has already bolstered the backline and Elton Kabangu has also come in as a new forward option. The Gorgie club are favourites to secure his signature despite interest from clubs in Denmark. Steinwender featured for Austrian sides Mattersburg, St Polten and Hartberg before moving to Varnamo last year. He helped the club avoid relegation from Sweden's Allsvenskan and has made more than 100 top-flight appearances so far.

So just how excited should fans be about this possible arrival? Here are five of them.

New horizons

It’s no secret that even with the arrival of McCart, Hearts are seriously short of options in defence. Stephen Kingsley and Frankie Kent are out for the foreseeable alongside long-term absentee Gerald Taylor at right-back, with Kye Rowles possibly on the move from the club. It’s resulted in makeshift back-four combinations in recent weeks but Steinwender allows for competitive competition at the back which is always crucial. It may also open up the possibility of Critchley going to a back three if he so chose to, with three out-and-out centre-backs.

Versatility

When you have so many players injured or you have players coming and going, a person who can plug square holes with round pegs is needed. That is what Steinwender can do. Sporting director Georg Zellhofer said of his new signing for St Polten in 2021: “Michael can be used in many different positions in defence and, thanks to his speed and physique, he has very good abilities to fill this position. At Mattersburg, he was on his way to becoming a regular player, so we are delighted that another talent with promise for the future has decided to join our club."

Ball-winner

Crunching some of the numbers behind him in Sweden, it looks as if Hearts would be getting a man very comfortable in ball-winning departments. Recoveries are a key part of the defensive game and the first step in an attack, and Steinwender has the second most in the Swedish top flight as per the most recent data with 14.51 per 90. He is also ranked sixth when it comes to counter-pressing recoveries - when a team regains possession of the ball from the opposition within five seconds. That comes in at 5.5. So a successful battler is what the Jambos would be inheriting.

Moving the play

Steinwender’s top stats don’t necessarily all come on the ball but what he does is sit on par with some of the club’s top passers in defence. Halkett and Rowles come in at 91% and 85% respectively while the possible new recruit is just under 90% with 89%. His progressive passing isn’t quite the same as Rowles who ranks one of the best in the Premiership, sitting on 11.56 compared to 8.6. In a team that particularly in home matches will look to dominate the ball, he’s got a good platform to develop that side of his game.

Consistency

As the Swedish season rumbled on, the defender became virtually one of the most consistent players in the team, an ever-present who could be relied upon. That shows up in the stats too, as over his last 20 games he has played in his career, successful actions in a game drops below 70% just three times. That’s a player who knows the right things to be doing most of the time which can help bring stability to the Hearts defence.