Hearts starlet signs contract as 'missed the boat' claim made

Latest news from Tynecastle ahead of battle for third clash this weekend

Hearts have signed their rising star as 'missed the boat' claim made

It's just a few days until Hearts are back in action as they prepare to take on St Mirren in the Scottish Premiership. Both sides are battling hard to end the year in third place with the Jambos edging the Paisley side on goal difference at present.

However a win at the weekend for either team will greatly shift the momentum and heat up the battle for those European spots. St Mirren started the campaign exceptionally strongly but have since plateaued while the Jambos are fresh off an unbelievable win against Celtic.

After two back-to-back defeats, Steven Naismith's side headed to Parkhead and beat Brendan Rodgers' squad 2-0 thanks to goals from Stephen Kingsley and this transfer season's hot topic Lawrence Shankland.

Ahead of the weekend's action, here is the latest news from Tynecastle as the January transfer season edges closer...

Hearts starlet signs extension

Hearts' Liam McFarlane has signed a new contract with the Tynecastle club which is now set to see him remain at the club until the summer of 2026. (Hearts FC) The 19-year-old has enjoyed another successful season in the Lowland League, starting every league game for Hearts B side which sits third in the table.

His manager Liam Fox, said : "I think this is a reward for his performances. Liam is currently enjoying a consistent run of games and producing a consistent level of performance, but also his attitude and application off the pitch has improved in every area. 

"This is a good step for him and we are pleased for him as we have seen big improvements in his game. The job for him is to keep pushing and working every single day as he has four really good goalkeepers in front of him. So, the challenge for him is to keep working really hard to put pressure on the other goalkeepers at the club."

'Missed the boat' claim

Journalist Chris Jack has suggested that Lawrence Shankland will not be a Rangers player if Hearts are looking for a £5 million fee. He has also indicated that the club may have 'missed the boat' on the striker already.

Taking to the Rangers Review Morning briefing, the sports writer speculated that: "There’s also a sense that Rangers have missed the boat on him. He’s been in the market a couple of times over the last few seasons. It’s one of these could-have should-have ones if Rangers didn’t move for him at the right time…

“It all comes down to Hearts’ demands here. If Hearts are going to somehow sell for £2m, great, Rangers then go and do it. I just don’t see it happening unfortunately. If you’re Hearts why would you sell such a prized asset, such a key player, for £2m? If it gets anywhere near £5m then Rangers won’t be at that particular negotiating table.

“If Hearts get £5m for Lawrence Shankland then fair play to them, I wish him and them all the very best, but he will not be a Rangers player for £5m, that’s just not happening