Exclusive:Five Hearts players trigger transfer interest
Edinburgh club prepare for possible moves before Thursday’s dealine
Five Hearts players are the subject of transfer interest as Scotland’s summer window edges towards a close. The Edinburgh club are working on potential new signings whilst also looking to move some first-team fringe men on. Offers have come in for different members of the squad and Tynecastle officials are keen to reduce the size of the group before the deadline if possible.
Hearts are ready to make final decisions on who should stay and who should go over the next couple of days. Some players have already been deemed surplus to requirements and are firmly out of favour under head coach Wouter Vrancken. Others are playing in the team and could continue to have an important role in maroon if they remain in the Capital.
Portuguese forward Claudio Braga has generated substantial interest in recent months after winning multiple Player of the Year awards in Scotland last season. He scored 17 goals and claimed six assists in 44 games for Hearts during the 2025/26 campaign, which was his first in this country. He also has two goals and three assists from 10 outings this term and is being monitored by clubs across Europe.
Turkish side Tabzonspor - who will play Hearts in the UEFA Conference League in October - and French giants Lyon have both shown interest in Braga. Clubs in England have also been in touch with the Tynecastle club about the 26-year-old. Hearts value him in the £8m to £10m bracket after signing him for £430,000 from the Norwegian second division side FK Aalesunds last summer. Braga told the Edinburgh News recently that he will only leave if the deal is right for both him and Hearts. He is determined to avoid being sold to a club that may not take his career in the direction he wants.
Another player attracting attention is Icelandic midfielder Tomas Magnusson. More than one offer has been submitted to Hearts for his services as teams in England and abroad covet his signature. It remains to be seen if the Gorgie hierarchy decide to cash in on a player who cost just £35,000 from Valur Reykjavic in Iceland 12 months ago. Magnusson has made eight appearances and scored one goal - against Benfica - so far this season.
Midfielders Yan Dhanda and Sander Kartum are on the very periphery of Hearts’ squad at the moment and both have suitors elsewhere who could offer regular game time. Dhanda spent last season on loan at Dundee and has plenty interest from teams in the Scottish Professional Football League. Others in England are also monitoring him and he could move before Scotland’s transfer window shuts at 5pm this Thursday, 3 September.
Kartum was loaned to the Australian A-League side Wellington Phoenix in January this year. He returned to Edinburgh for pre-season training but has not been able to secure a regular place in Hearts’ matchday squads. Another move looks necessary if the Norwegian wants to play first-team football.
Hearts have received a number of loan offers for Belgian striker Elton Kabangu but, as things stand, he remains part of the squad at Riccarton. He was signed in summer 2025 when the Edinburgh club paid Union Saint-Gilloise a fee in the region of £250,000 to convert his loan deal into a permanent transfer. However, he has made just two appearances this year and has been told he can move on.
Players arriving at Tynecastle this week will include the Faroese winger Aron Benjaminsen and Swiss midfielder Leart Kabashi. Deals for the two teenagers are set to go through before the window closes.