Lawrence Shankland arrives in Edinburgh to sign for Hearts

Lawrence Shankland has arrived in Edinburgh to complete his move to Hearts after a deal was struck with Belgian club Beerschot.

The Scotland international striker will sign a long-term contract at Tynecastle Park once final formalities are taken care of this morning. Hearts are paying a six-figure transfer fee to Beerschot in an agreement which will also include add-ons.

Shankland is due to put pen to paper to reunite with manager Robbie Neilson and coaching staff Lee McCulloch and Gordon Forrest. Whilst managing Dundee United, Neilson signed the player from Ayr in 2019 and helped him earn full Scotland caps on Tayside.

Neilson left to return to Tynecastle in 2020 and Shankland was sold to Belgium in a £1million deal the following year. However, Beerschot were relegated to the second division last season and Shankland has taken the opportunity to head home.

Hearts were quoted an initial £500,000 fee for the 26-year-old but Beerschot reluctantly accepted late last month that they would need to lower their expectations in order to move the forward on.

Other contract terms took time to negotiate and an agreement was reached to let Shankland leave Antwerp and continue his career back in his homeland.

Officials at the Edinburgh club identified Shankland as their primary target for the No.9 position before the summer transfer window opened and waited patiently to get their man.

He is set to become Hearts’ sixth signing of the summer after winger Alan Forrest, defenders Kye Rowles, Lewis Neilson and Alex Cochrane, plus midfielder Jorge Grant.