Is James Hill a Toby Sibbick understudy or Craig Halkett replacement? 4 questions around Hearts' impending January signings

A question each around the four players most likely to arrive at Tynecastle this window, including new signing James Hill

Is James Hill a Toby Sibbick understudy or Craig Halkett replacement?

Despite being only 20, Hill still has a little bit of pedigree having cost the south-coast club £1 million to sign from Fleetwood Town after impressing in England’s League One. Yet there isn’t an awful lot to suggest he’s going to come right into the starting XI at Tynecastle.

Halkett was going to play on the right of the back three before his ACL tear, which will see him miss the rest of the season if not most of 2023, and Hill has both the experience and the qualities to play there. He’s comfortable enough in possession and can advance play with his passing. He isn’t afraid to attempt ranging ball forward, though his accuracy on those is a little weak.

James Hill moved to Bournemouth after impressing for Fleetwood Town in England's League One. Picture: Getty

He’s also an aggressive defender who likes to throw his body into or in the way of opposing attackers. He averages 6.18 defensive duels per 90 minutes (above average) and wins 72.82 per cent of them (very good). He also attempted 0.78 slide tackles per game last season, which was more than any Scottish Premiership centre-back.

However, there is one aspect of Halkett’s play which Hearts really could have done with replacing: his aerial prowess. The ex-Livi captain won 75 per cent of his headers last term. Hill, alarmingly enough, only won 50 per cent. That was a bit of an outlier as his career average is 60 per cent, which is what Kye Rowles has posted this campaign, an average stronger than that of Toby Sibbick (55), Lewis Neilson (50) and Alex Cochrane (46). But it does mean Hearts will have five out of six centre-backs who are below average in the air with only Stephen Kingsley (68) nearing any sort of dominance.

Considering he was signed for a six-figure fee, still has two-and-a-half years left on his deal, has played consistently at a higher level and is in good form at the moment, it’s pretty clear the jersey remains Sibbick’s to lose even if Hill signs.

Will Hearts sign Callum Paterson in the January transfer window?

Callum Paterson was a late substitute as Sheffield Wednesday defeated Newcastle United in the FA Cup at the weekend. Picture: Getty

It doesn’t look like Sheffield Wednesday will just allow Hearts to have the Scottish international this month unless they can recruit a replacement to help them with their promotion push. After three successive league victories Darren Moore’s side are now in second place in League One. They also knocked a fairly strong Newcastle United side out of the FA Cup at the weekend with Paterson on as a late substitute.

Though he’s mainly come off the bench, Paterson has still played 25 times this season and started their last two league games after leading scorer Lee Gregory suffered a back injury.

Paterson could play a significant factor in this. The former Hearts star is understood to be keen on a return to Gorgie and with him expected to leave Hillsborough in 2023 regardless, as his contract expires in the summer, his lack of long-term commitment may push Wednesday into admitting defeat and allowing him to go six months early. It already feels like this one will come down to the wire this month.

Will Yutaro Oda come in and start right away?

Yutaro Oda is expecting to finalise his move to Hearts from Vissel Kobe in the coming days. Picture: Getty

Neilson stated that Oda could be part of Friday’s squad to face St Mirren (if his signing is finalised in time) depending on his fitness. Without knowing the exact condition of the Japanese attacker, it does seem unlikely he’ll play much of a part even if all goes well. The J-League finished up in November and Oda hasn’t played since representing the Japan under-21 side against Portugal later that month, so he’ll be very much short of match sharpness.

There’s also the question of whether he’ll need time to adapt. Hearts are excited about the potential of the speedy and versatile attacker, but he comes to Edinburgh after a season where he was a bit-part player for a Vissel Kobe side that was a bit of a mess due to injuries and mismanagement. He doesn’t have experience of playing or living in this country and he’s still only 21.

Josh Ginnelly’s contract is up at the end of the season and, though he’s been in strong form of late, there hasn’t been any talk of a new deal in the offing. It feels like Oda is a long-term replacement with their Hearts careers overlapping by six months and he’ll play the role of back-up for now.

How good is Garang Kuol?

Garang Kuol is close to agreeing a loan move to Hearts from Newcastle United. Picture: Getty

It wasn’t long ago that Hearts made a similar deal with an English Premier League heavyweight to immediately bring in a highly-touted young player on loan in the days after his signing. But there’s enough evidence to indicate Kuol is a level above Ryotaro Meshino, the Japanese ex-Hearts loanee who flared out after a bright start following his move from Manchester City in season 2019/20.

Meshino was one of many players to benefit/fall foul (depending on your perspective) of the City group’s transfer strategy of buying up potential and hoping to eventually flip them for a profit. It was unlikely he was ever going to feature for the City first-team. That’s not the long-term expectation with Kuol. Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has even been involved in the decision to send the Australian to Hearts as they seek to carefully construct his developmental path.

Furthermore, Kuol has already played in a World Cup, coming on in matches against the two eventual finalists – France and Argentina – and managing to hold his own.

Of the two incoming attackers to Gorgie, he is the one more poised to make an instant impact.

(All stats were provided by Wyscout.com)

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