Hearts give striker permission to talk to English Premier League clubs with a fee due if he rejects Tynecastle deal

Hearts will bank a fee potentially reaching six figures if Riccarton teenager James Wilson moves to the English Premier League this summer.
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The 16-year-old striker has been given permission by the Edinburgh club to talk to other interested parties and has held discussions with top-flight clubs in England. Aston Villa and Leeds United are both strong contenders for his signature with a decision on his future due soon.

Hearts are not giving up hope of keeping Wilson having put a long-term contract on the table for him to stay in Edinburgh. By offering that deal, they protected their right to a development fee under FIFA’s training compensation rule. They would be due a payment in excess of £100,000 if he joins an English Premier League side.

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Wilson has played for Hearts Under-18s and their B team this season and is regarded as one of the most talented youngsters to emerge from the Riccarton youth academy in recent years. He has captained Scotland Under-16s and is attracting attention from major British clubs.

An addition to Leeds and Villa, Manchester United, Fulham, Brighton and Hove Albion, Celtic and Rangers have all been credited with an interest in him. He won the Hearts Academy Player of the Year award last season and is now able to sign professional terms after turning 16 earlier this year. Hearts see him as a potential future first-team player and hope he will choose to remain at Tynecastle over higher wages on offer in England.

Hearts received a six-figure fee from Aston Villa for 16-year-old Scotland youth midfielder Ewan Simpson last summer, and the Birmingham club are again in the hunt for emerging talent from Scotland. Villa also signed striker Rory Wilson from Rangers last year and his namesake James is another prodigious teenager on their radar.