Kyosuke Tagawa's Hearts position explained: Transfer fee, club's stance and what lies ahead

The Japanese forward showed some of his talent in the final week of the season

Kyosuke Tagawa remains an enigma at the end of a full season in Edinburgh. Hearts supporters have seen mere fleeting glimpses of his capabilities due to injuries, adaptation to Scottish football and culture, plus the ridiculous form of a certain Lawrence Shankland. All of the above leave a sense of mystery regarding Tagawa and where he fits in.

Peak years lie ahead despite him being a 25-year-old Japanese internationalist. Three goals in 21 Hearts appearances is hardly an earth-shattering ratio for a forward who last summer cost the club a six-figure transfer fee, understood to be less than £500,000. And yet, his impact in the final week of the season should not be overlooked.

Two beautifully-executed goals - one against St Mirren, the other against Rangers - earned Hearts league points and Tagawa more respect from detractors. Fans who chant his name to The Champs’ 1958 hit ‘Tequila’ regard him as a cult hero, but even they couldn’t argue that his contribution could improve. Those last two games suggest he is getting there.

“We see it in training all the time - there is a player in there,” said midfielder Beni Baningime. “There's an improvement in all of us as players. I'm just really happy for him. Some people can just like sack it off [when things are not going well], but obviously not him. He's got a great attitude, all the boys love him. We have some language barriers and a bit of broken English, but he is learning English and fitting in very well.”

The Edinburgh News revealed in February this year that clubs in Japan and Portugal had shown interest in signing Tagawa from Hearts. He is still being monitored by foreign scouts but whether a move transpires is another matter. As it stands, he will report back to Riccarton for pre-season training in the week beginning 24 June looking to continue where he left off at the end of season 2023/24.

The club’s management team see potential in him and are willing to be patient. His contract at Tynecastle Park runs until summer 2026, so there is time to see if he kicks on next year. He might have more of a chance if Shankland would stop scoring. Whether the Scotland internationalist remains a Hearts player beyond the summer transfer window is not clear with a new contract offer hitherto unsigned. Were he to go, he would leave a glaring void in the No.9 position which people like Tagawa and Liam Boyce would aim to grasp.

Tagawa will simply hope to stay fit and push harder for a first-team place next year regardless. To his credit, he has refused to give up despite various challenges during his first year in Scotland. Ankle and hamstring injuries were two of the most frustrating issues. Being sold or loaned out isn’t on his agenda and Hearts are keen to see what he offers over the next few months. In any case, for a move to materialise, the club would want to recoup as much of the money they paid for Tagawa as possible.

Midfielder Calem Nieuwenhof enjoyed a strong second half of the season having taken time to settle in Gorgie following his arrival from Australia last year. Hearts are hopeful Tagawa is now ready to make a similar impact on the team. Head coach Steven Naismith explained recently that the Japanese perhaps just needed a bit of luck to go his way. “He maybe needed one to just go in off his shin to set him off and then he could keep going. That hasn't happened but I think he has qualities so we will see how pre-season plays out.”

Since then, Tagawa has made his own luck with those two instinctive one-touch strikes against St Mirren and Rangers. More of those next season and The Champs’ trumpets will be blaring out at Tynecastle on a regular basis.