Hearts agree terms to sign James Penrice ahead of several other clubs

Hearts have agreed terms to sign Livingston defender James Penrice on a pre-contract for next season. The Edinburgh club held talks with the 25-year-old earlier this year and will bring him to Tynecastle on a long-term deal this summer.

Penrice is out of contract at the end of the season and available to move for free. He has played 31 times for Livingston this season but injury sidelined him last month. He intends to leave West Lothian as the club look destined for relegation to the Championship sitting 10 points adrift of Ross County at the bottom of the Premiership table.

Hearts are in the market for a left-sided full-back who can also operate as a wing-back. Current left-back Alex Cochrane is attracting interest from England but Tynecastle officials would only begin negotiations for his transfer if they received an offer of £2m minimum.

Several other teams in Scotland and England made attempts to sign Penrice, but Hearts have an agreement in place to take him along the M8 to Tynecastle Park. Attracted by the prospect of European football, he will be due to report to Riccarton for pre-season training in late June to begin the next phase of his career.

Penrice came through Partick Thistle's youth system to make a first-team debut in May 2016 at the age of 17. Loan spells at East Fife and Livingston followed before he switched permanently to Almondvale in summer 2021. His three-year contract finishes in May and he will then move to Edinburgh.

Hearts have already agreed pre-contract terms with the Ross County midfielder Yan Dhanda, who will now be joined by Penrice as new faces at Riccarton for season 2024/25.