Hearts transfer negotiations to be done in 24 to 48 hours - club provide a Lawrence Shankland update
Kye Rowles, Liam Boyce and Shankland were discussed by Neil Critchley
Transfer negotiations between Hearts and DC United for Kye Rowles are expected to conclude in the next 24 to 48 hours. The Tynecastle head coach Neil Critchley confirmed Rowles is heading for the exit as he discussed Sunday’s 0-0 draw with Aberdeen.
The Australian international defender is expected to join the MLS club in a £600,000 transfer after his role as an unused substitute for Hearts at Pittodrie. Jorge Grant’s stoppage-time penalty was saved by the Aberdeen goalkeeper Ross Doohan to deny the visitors three points in what was otherwise a disciplined display.
Critchley spoke at full-time and admitted Rowles is edging towards a departure from Gorgie. “Yeah. It's looking that way, I have to be honest,” he said. “I would have thought in the next 24, 48 hours negotiations could be completed. It's not done yet. It's not finalised yet. But if it is his last game or his last chance of being in the squad, then it'd be unfortunate.
“We don't want to lose our best players, but also we understand that it's something that he might want to pursue and it could be a good deal for the club as well. He would go with our best wishes, like Liam Boyce has gone back to [Northern] Ireland.”
The manager also addressed reports from Turkiye that the country’s second-tier side Amedspor have made an offer for the Hearts captain Lawrence Shankland. “No, nothing. We've had absolutely no bids. Nothing. No-one's contacted us regarding Shanks,” said Critchley.
Hearts would have accepted a point at 0-0 before Sivert Heltne Nilsen fouled substitute Kenneth Vargas inside the box. Grant’s penalty was pushed onto the post by the diving Doohan. Critchley acknowledged that it felt like two points were dropped come full-time.
“It feels like that because of what happened right at the end of the game. In truth, it was a very even game, a point was probably fair, but obviously when you have a penalty and the last kick of the game to win it, then it probably does feel like two points possibly lost. Credit to Aberdeen, I thought it was a really tight game. Both teams played with a good mentality on the pitch, both teams tried to go for the game, not a lot of chances really at either end.
“It's another clean sheet for us, which is a real positive, and it's a point away from home. Jorge is obviously really disappointed. His head is down, but he's got the courage to take it, he wanted it straight away, and he's a very good technician. So, I have to give credit to the goalkeeper. It was more of a goalkeeper save than a penalty miss, in my opinion.”
Elton Kabangu, making his Hearts debut on loan from Union Saint-Gilloise, was one of several players keen to take the penalty. “I think there was a few. I think Kenny and Elton maybe wanted to step up and take the penalty, which is a positive. But Jorge, you know, he's taken penalties before for us and scored. So, it happens, unfortunately.”
With Boyce gone to Derry City and Shankland injured, Grant occupied the No.10 position for Hearts after some strong recent performances in a deeper midfield role. “It's a dilemma we were speaking about before the game because Jorge gives us good control in the middle of the pitch,” explained Critchley. “If you come here and gain control of the game and have good position, then I always think attack is the best form of defence. It gives them less chance of scoring if we've got the ball.
“Also, then you have to make sure that you've got penetration on the last line. We had that. There were a few moments in the first half where it didn't quite go for us in and around the penalty area. Our quality and decision-making let us down, which has been a common theme. But we said at half-time that we need to be a little bit more progressive from the mid-third of the pitch, which we probably didn't quite do well enough until the game opened up a little bit and we had Elton and Jamesy [Wilson].
“Then obviously you make the subs, like attacking subs, we wanted to go for the game with Alan [Forrest] Kenny [Vargas], Yan [Dhanda]. We tried to go and win the game because we thought in that moment they might feel a little bit of anxiety because of the situation they're in. Having said that, you know that if you do that, you're also opening up the pitch for some really quick and athletic players at the other end of the pitch. It's a bit roll-the-dice. We felt we should do that and we nearly won the game because of it.”
Hearts have now recorded three successive clean sheets after beating both Motherwell and Dundee United 1-0 and drawing with Aberdeen. Critchley admitted the 2-2 draw at Ross County, where his team conceded goals in the 97th and 99th minutes, still irks him. “Yeah, it should have been four, in truth. I could be sitting here now and we could have won the last four games, really. We probably left a few points on the pitch.
“It is a positive [clean sheets]. Aberdeen had one or two moments in the first half where they got behind our defence. We were pressing, we were on the front foot, and we won the ball back a lot. From good pressing situations where we regained the ball, we turned it over. Or when they got through us once, they managed to break our line, which is the risk you take.
“You risk pressing the ball to win the ball back, but if they play through the press or go over it, then you risk being vulnerable at the other end of the pitch. That thing happened once or twice in the first half, something we sorted out at half-time, and we were much more solid and compact without the ball in the second half, which gave us a really good basis to control a lot of the game, I felt.”