Burkina Faso forward hopes to be involved in the Scottish Premiership opening game

Pierre Landry Kabore is preparing for a Hearts debut against Aberdeen in Monday’s opening Scottish Premiership match. Tynecastle officials are still awaiting final work permit confirmation from the UK Home Office to complete Kabore’s transfer from the Estonian club JK Narva Trans. It is expected to arrive any day, and Kabore will be in the squad to face Aberdeen if paperwork is cleared in time.

The 24-year-old is doing fitness work to ensure he is ready for competitive action after arriving in Edinburgh three weeks ago. He is eager to finalise his move but had to go through the immigration process as an African entering the UK. While Albanian winger Sabah Kerjota’s move from the Italian club Sambenedettese was completed last week, Kabore is still waiting. He has watched Hearts’ Premier Sports Cup and friendly matches from the stand throughout the month.

Head coach Derek McInnes will include Kabore in his squad for Monday night provided all the relevant documentation is in place. Several of the Riccarton first-team squad will be involved in a closed-door bounce match today - which would also have included Kabore had his transfer been finalised. When asked by the Edinburgh News if he intends using the Burkina Faso internationalist against Aberdeen, McInnes confirmed: “Yes, totally. I wanted him to play today [in the closed-door game].”

Kabore is frustrated by the delay as he looks to begin the next phase of his career. He scored 22 goals in 20 appearances for Narva Trans since the turn of the year and was their biggest asset before Hearts moved to bring him to Scotland. He joined the Estonian side from FC D’Abodo in Ivory Coast last year. His previous clubs include Sonabel, Salitas and ASF Bobo in Burkina Faso. He holds two caps for his country and is regarded as one of their most promising players.

Kabore played much of his career as a right winger, also operating on the left, but many of his goals for Narva Trans came when he was used as a striker. Hearts intend to deploy him in different areas across their front line to utilise his goal threat. He will be asked to play up front as well as out wide whilst McInnes determines where suits the player best.

Latest Hearts transfer target due in Scotland

Another Hearts transfer target, midfielder Tomas Bent Magnusson, is due in Scotland this week to finalise his move from Valur Reykjavik. Officials at the Icelandic club have agreed terms with Tynecastle counterparts, and the 22-year-old will undergo a medical in Edinburgh before signing a long-term contract.

Valur left the player out of their Besta Deild Karla league win against Hafnarfjordur on Sunday in the knowledge that he has played his last game for them. Hearts made an official approach for Magnusson last week as McInnes looks to strengthen midfield options ahead of the new Scottish Premiership season. Provided there are no late setbacks, he could be signed before Aberdeen visit Tynecastle on Monday but it remains to be seen if he will feature in that match.

Speaking exclusively to the Edinburgh News, the Valur football chairman Bjorn Steinar Jonsson explained that the six-figure deal with Hearts is close to being completed. “It's more or less in place. We are just working on finalising that today,” he said on Monday. “I met Tomas last night at our game and he was not sure which day he will go. Probably in the next few days he will travel to Scotland for a medical.”