Hearts make transfer 'contact' over midfielder move as former Jambo edges towards Rangers exit
Hearts are in the market for a new midfielder after Cammy Devlin departed for Rangers.
Forest Green Rovers boss Robbie Savage has told Hearts that Laurent Mendy is not for sale as he claims the Jambos have made transfer ‘contact’ over the midfielder.
The Premiership side had interest in the 29-year-old during winter’s transfer window after injury to Cammy Devlin. He has now permanently departed Tynecastle and joined Rangers with head coach Wouter Vrancken eyeing up midfield reinforcements now the Australian international’s exit is confirmed.
Mendy has emerged as a key player under former Wales international Savage in the National League and has also featured for Macclesfield FC in recent years. He insists though that top stars aren’t for sale and Mendy falls into that category.
Could Hearts sign Laurent Mendy in the transfer window?
Savage told the BBC: "No bid. We had a bid last January for Laurent. A bid which we thought was miles under our valuation. There's no bid at all in for Laurent Mendy. I think there has been contact from Hearts but no official offer from any other club. Not from Hearts, not from any other club. So again, I think our stance is pretty clear: Not for sale.
“I look at the teams who are expecting to be in the play-off position and get promotion, I don't see any of them selling their arguably best player at this stage of the season. I understand people have got ambitions and aims. They want to play as high as they can. Again, I've been a player, so I understand it and I am a manager and what I've realised is, the investment that (club owner)Dale's put into his football club.
“We want to keep our best players. So, unfortunately, in football, you don't get what you want. I'm not saying Laurent wants to go. I'm just saying that, no bid has been received. Our stance is pretty clear. He's not for sale. We need to keep our best players in this football club to try and gain promotion. To be all EFL players, manager, staff and that's what our aim is.
What former Hearts star could leave Rangers this summer?
“No bids are in. If any bids come in, they'll be turned down because the players we have here at the minute, you look at Kyle McAllister, Mendy, you've got James Berry and D'Mani Mellor. We've got so many good players. Why would we want to sell our best assets? Those players want to play higher. We need to get promoted and we're going to try and keep them up. We've got to keep our best players."
Meanwhile, amid Derek McInnes, Lawrence Shankland and Devlin swapping Hearts for Rangers with ex-Jambo James Penrice a reported Ibrox target, John Souttar could head the other way. The centre-back moved to Govan from Gorgie in 2022 but he is not part of their squad on a warm weather training camp in Spain. Reports suggest the Scotland international has options in England as it does not look likely that he will be in manager McInnes’ plans.