Incomings and outgoings continue at Tynecastle

Norwegian midfielder Sander Kartum has left Hearts by mutual consent as the club continue trying to move players on who are not part of the future plans. Now 30, Kartum was unable to command a regular place in the team and is now a free agent after the remaining 12 months of his contract were cancelled.

He arrived from Brann Bergen in Norway in January 2025 and signed a two-and-a-half-year contract. However, after making just 17 appearances in maroon, it was clear he would need to leave Tynecastle Park in order to play more football. Kartum and Hearts reached an agreement for him to leave and he will now pursue options to continue his career elsewhere.

Hearts issued a brief statement confirming Kartum’s departure, which read: “Sander Kartum has today left the club via mutual consent. The Norwegian arrived in January 2025 and would go on to make 17 appearances in maroon, scoring on two occasions. We thank Sander for his efforts and wish him well for the future.”

More exits are anticipated with club officials in talks over who should move on before the transfer window closes at 5pm on Thursday. There is interest in a number of first-team players, including Portuguese forward Claudio Braga and Icelandic midfielder Tomas Magnusson.

English attacker Yan Dhanda also has suitors on both sides of the border and, like Kartum, is struggling for regular game time under head coach Wouter Vrancken. Hearts have received a number of loan proposals for Belgian striker Elton Kabangu, who is also out of favour. He has been told he can find a new club but, so far, he remains part of the squad at Riccarton.

While possible player departures are being discussed, Hearts are also in the process of recruiting two more new players. American striker JJ Williams became the 11th new signing at Tynecastle last week and could make his debut in Thursday’s Edinburgh derby against Hibs at Easter Road. Signings number 12 and 13 are also in the pipeline as Faroese winger Aron Benjaminsen and Swiss midfielder Leart Kabashi have both agreed moves to Edinburgh.

Benjaminsen and Kabashi are both 18 and very much signings for the future. They were highlighted by Hearts’ data-based recruitment partner, Jamestown Analytics, as youngsters with the potential to grow into real assets. Both will be signed for relatively small fees with the intention of developing them within the first-team squad at Riccarton.

Benjaminsen plays wide on the right predominantly and is regarded as the most promising youngster to emerge from the Faroe Islands in years. His club, Vikingur Gota, were expecting him to leave this summer due to the level of interest in him, and Hearts have won the race for his signature. Kabashi is a graduate of the youth academy at Grasshopper Zurich and is also rated extremely highly by coaches across Switzerland. He can operate as a No.10 or out wide and likes to shoot from distance.