Islam Chesnokov's Hearts transfer hits deadlock as Derek McInnes explains his fear

Whilst Hearts remain keen to strike a deal for the Kazakhstani winger Islam Chesnokov this summer, head coach Derek McInnes fears he will need to wait longer. Chesnokov signed a pre-contract to join the Edinburgh club in November after his Tobol Kostanay contract expires and McInnes is now planning around that probability.

He is confident that the 25-year-old is worth waiting for and believes he can make an impact whenever he arrives in Scotland. Hearts tried to sign Chesnokov in January this year but Tobol rejected their offer. Having agreed the pre-contract, Tynecastle officials want a transfer as soon as possible before the summer window closes. That would avoid Chesnokov arriving in November and being unable to register as a Hearts player until the January transfer window opens.

Although the player is ready to make the move, Tobol are resisting Hearts’ attempts to reach an agreement. Chesnokov is their star player and they want to keep him as long as possible while they challenge for the Kazakhstani Premier League title. They currently sit six points behind leaders Astana after 13 matches but have two games in hand. Chesnokov has scored six goals and claimed two assists in the league so far this season.

The current timeline for his switch to Scotland is November and McInnes is working on the assumption that is not going to change. “We're no further forward,” he explained at Hearts’ pre-season training base in Spain. “There's a wee bit of an impasse where he's still a key player for his current team and I don't think they're actively encouraging offers from us to get him. It's not as if they're teasing us or anything with an offer. It needs to be more. We're not really getting that sort of dialogue.

“My fear is that they maybe want him to stay at the end of their campaign, pushing him down the line for us. But I think he's worth waiting for. We've done a pre-contract, we might need to wait a bit longer for that, unfortunately. Hopefully we can still find a way.”

New Hearts transfer target before season 2025/26 starts?

Hearts are likely to sign another right-sided winger for the start of the new Premiership season if negotiations on Chesnokov do not progress. The manager still wants to strengthen specific areas of his squad but has time to do so as the transfer window does not close until 1 September. “The priority was a bit more pace, players happier playing in wide areas and a bit more physicality,” added McInnes. “I still think, while we're getting there, we're still a bit short of that at the minute.”

The club have already brought in six players so far this summer in the shape of Norwegian right-back Christian Borchgrevink, Greek winger Alexandros Kyziridis, Belgian striker Elton Kabangu, Irish midfielder Oisin McEntee, Portuguese striker Claudio Braga and Scottish centre-back Stuart Findlay.

READ MORE: Borchgrevink’s unique Hearts transfer tale - and why he bared his backside