Islam Chesnokov's Hearts transfer update as Edinburgh club await Kazakhstan international winger
Chesnokov is due in Scotland next month
Islam Chesnokov’s move to Hearts is still expected to go through despite suggestions that the player is pondering his future. Tynecastle officials have his signature on a pre-contract agreement and he is due to arrive in Edinburgh next month. He has received other offers from clubs in Kazakhstan and Russia but Hearts are not aware of any rethink from the player. Sources close to Chesnokov also said nothing has changed as far as they are concerned.
Hearts have been preparing for Chesnokov’s arrival in Edinburgh for some time after making attempts to sign him in January and July this year. He is due to begin training at Riccarton next month and then register with the Scottish Football Association in January to begin his Tynecastle career in earnest. His contract at the Kazakhstani side Tobol Kostanay has now expired and there are various clubs coveting his signature.
The 25-year-old penned a pre-contract agreement with Hearts during the summer and is set to arrive before the end of the year. Media reports earlier on Monday suggested the player may look to take up another option, but his representatives do not expect him to pursue another move. The Hearts chief executive Andrew McKinlay stated only last month that Chesnokov’s signing was secured.
“I think we shouldn’t forget we’ve already made a signing in Islam Chesnokov, who’ll come in,” said McKinlay. “He can’t be registered until January, but he will join us for training purposes at the beginning of December, which I think is great and can allow him to get used to the surroundings, get used to Edinburgh, as we go into the lovely winter months. So that’s a big thing for January.”
Chesnokov stayed in his homeland to help Tobol as tey tried to win the league title, but they finished third when the final round of matches were completed at the end of October. He is now enjoying a break from football and is due to report to Riccarton for training early next month. He will not be able to play competitively for Hearts until the January transfer window opens and his registration has been processed.
Hearts intend to use Chesnokov wide on the right of their attack, where he played most often for Tobol. “We would ideally have liked to get him in before the the window closed there in the summer,” head coach Derek McInnes explained in September. “But we fully believe that Chesnokov playing off that right hand side, and playing anywhere really across the front line, will give us something a bit different as well.
“He’s a Kazakhstani international, playing at a good level for a period of time. We feel he's ahead of some of the boys that we've brought in, in terms of the levels and in terms of the experience. Some of them there was that understanding when you bring them in that it's a bit of time to nurture them and get them up to it. But I think Chesnokov is a couple of steps ahead of the level where some of the lads we signed. So I think he's one that can come and hit the ground running.”
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