Hearts poised to sign midfielder Ryan Edwards

Hearts are close to signing Ryan Edwards after agreeing terms with the former Partick Thistle midfielder.

Ryan Edwards is close to joining Hearts after leaving Partick Thistle.

Provided there are no late complications, he should become a Hearts player within the next 48 hours.

Edwards left Thistle after their relegation from the Scottish Premiership by invoking a release clause in his contract. That freed him to talk to Hearts and discussions have progressed quickly to the point where he is ready to become manager Craig Levein's eighth summer signing.

Aged 24, Edwards operates as a holding midfielder and joined Thistle in 2015 from the English Championship club Reading. He is an Australian youth internationalist at under-20 and under-23 level, and he also enjoyed a loan spell Down Under with Perth Glory during season 2013/14.

He is now preparing to join Zdenek Zlamal, Bobby Burns, Ben Garuccio, Steven MacLean, Uche Ikpeazu, Olly Lee and Jake Mulraney as new faces at Riccarton.

Hearts are also hopeful of signing the Czech striker David Vanecek from Teplice either this summer or on a pre-contract to arrive in January.