EFL midfielder poised to return to Edinburgh

Hearts are poised to secure Marc Leonard’s return to Tynecastle on loan from Birmingham City. The 24-year-old midfielder is preparing for a potential debut in maroon against Celtic on Sunday, provided his registration is completed on time. Leonard is a former Riccarton youth academy pupil who left for England in 2018 but is now set to help Hearts’ Premiership title push.

A loan deal until the end of the season has been verbally agreed between Tynecastle officials and counterparts at Birmingham. Leonard was due to train with Hearts on Friday ahead of the deal being announced. He has been in and out of the City team this season in the English Football Championship, making 17 appearances in total. Hearts need midfield reinforcements for Sunday, with Cammy Devlin injured, Beni Baningime suspended, plus Oisin McEntee, Eduardo Ageu, Calem Nieuwenhof and Finlay Pollock all missing through injury.

Celtic’s visit to Tynecastle is a top-of-the-table meeting with Hearts currently six points clear of both the Parkhead club and Rangers. Management at Riccarton have been working all week in an effort to secure a new midfielder and a deal is now in place for Leonard. The Scotland Under-21 internationalist is ready to rejoin his old club to pick up where he left off in 2018.

He was lured south to Brighton and Hove Albion at the time for a fee in the region of £500,000 before he had made a first-team appearance for Hearts. After six years on England’s south coast, he joined Birmingham in summer 2024. Hearts moved to bring him back north and he is now in the final stages of finalising a return to the Scottish Capital on loan. He is a central midfielder who can perform as an anchorman and dictate play, allowing others around him to flourish.

Hearts have also made an offer for the Forest Green Rovers captain Laurent Mendy, but their initial bid was rejected. They are considering whether to return with an improved proposal for the Frenchman, who is contracted until summer 2028. Leonard’s signing would lessen the need for another midfielder in the short term so it remains to be seen if Hearts revisit their interest in Mendy.

Speaking about Hearts’ approach for Mendy, the Forest Green manager Robbie Savage was keen to keep his captain. “Well, he's a Forest Green player as it stands,” said the former Wales international midfielder. “He's under contract for the next two-and-a-half years, so that's what it is. There's interest because he's an unbelievable player, a great talent. He's been with me for four-and-a-half years now. There's interest in him because of how well he's done. He's stepped up two levels and he's a brilliant individual. Of course, we knew there would be interest in all of our players. That's what we want at our football club, we want to improve and develop.

“There's no buyout clause and it's with my sporting director and my owner but, right now, Mendy is a Forest Green player. I thought his performance in the second half was brilliant, didn't faze him and that's what I expect from my captain. Credit him for he way he performed. What would you do, if your best player wanted a move? So, again, Forest Green is a football club who has given me a chance, given players a chance.

“I understand it, I've been in that situation as a player many times. When there were offers for me and they were turned down, I had to get on with it. For a couple of weeks, of course, you're feeling you want to go. There have been times where I got sold and got my move. So I expect all my players, regardless of their situation, to give me and the team everything.”