English Premier league side reportedly tracking Hearts prospect with view to potential transfer

A Hearts teenager is said to be of interest to a major English Premier League club (Pic: SNS) | SNS Group

Hearts’ prospect Alfie Osborne could be the latest young Scottish talent line up for an early transfer across the border to an English football heavyweight.

According to a report from the Daily Record, Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion are ‘on the trail’ of the teenage defender who is currently away with the Scotland under 17’s international side. The Seagulls’ are understood to have sent scouts to watch the 2-2 draw with North Macedonia earlier this week.

While scouts from Brighton, and indeed many Premier League and EFL clubs, regularly attend these types of matches it is claimed that Osborne is a player that the South Coast club have had an eye on for a while. They are expected to be watching on again in the under 17s next two matches against Romania and Liechtenstein over the coming days.

Osborne could follow in another ex Hearts prospect’s footsteps

If he does make the move then Osborne would be following the footsteps of ex Hearts prospect Marc Leonard who also traded Gorgie for Brighton at a young age. The now 23-year old was in part of Hearts academy between 2014 and 2018 before being snapped up by the Seagulls.

Now with Birmingham City in English Football’s League One, Leonard never made a first team appearance for Brighton although he did spend time on loan at Northampton Town between 2022 and 2024. Like Osborne, he was also a part of the Scotland national team youth set up when he was scouted for a move south.

Osborne was one of ten academy players who signed professional contracts last year and featured on the bench for the first team in their friendly match with Fleetwood Town at the age of 16. Standing 6’4 and capable of playing as both a defensive midfielder and a centre back, he is descried by the club as a player who “prides himself on his ball retention, and can dictate the tempo of games from his midfield berth” as well as “A massive Jambo”.

Hearts and Brighton potential link up ahead of Tony Bloom investment

The obvious link between Hearts and Brighton is Tony Bloom who is chairman of the English Premier League club and looking to make a significant investment into the Edinburgh outfit. However, there is nothing to suggest at this time that he is directly involved in this scouting mission and Hearts have been clear in the past that the links between the club will see them share Bloom’s recruitment software but the Jambos will not become a ‘feeder club’ for the seagulls.

The Evening News reported in December that the deal which will allow Bloom to make his investment in the club had taken a major step forward. It came after the Foundation of Hearts Annual General Meeting, where a resolution to amend the organisation's articles of association was passed having met the required 90 percent plus vote. Essentially, that means that Bloom will be able to buy the shares required for the club to secure his investment.

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