Naismith provides Hearts latest on Salazar as he aims to land signing from Crystal Palace ahead of Rangers

Hearts Manager Steven Naismith | SNS Group

Hearts head coach Steven Naismith has confirmed the club are closing in on a transfer for left-back Andres Salazar.

The Colombian international is nearing a season-long loan deal with an option to buy, in what will be the latest South American swoop after Gerald Taylor and last season’s signing of Kenneth Vargas. Salazar’s minutes at Atletico Nacional are about to become restricted and Hearts stand ready to offer what the Colombian side can’t.

James Penrice has arrived in that position already this summer but Alex Cochrane left for Birmingham City last month. Speaking ahead of the Premiership curtain raiser at Tynecastle with Rangers, Naismith confirmed a deal for Salazar is in the works.

He said: “It's something we are working on but I've not got much update in terms of where that's at. As a player, he's got really high potential. We've been fortunate in that the situation at his current club is going to restrict his minutes and the way the deal has been structured and the way it will work out, it's a good opportunity for us.

“As we lost Alex, he was somebody we knew about but we didn't really think we had a massive opportunity to get him. But that seems to have changed and it's something we're working hard to get done.”

Malachi Boateng meanwhile is one the Hearts head coach hopes to have available for the match against Rangers. He is in the final stages of completing a move to Tynecastle from Crystal Palace, having spent the last couple of seasons on loan in Scotland with Queen’s Park and Dundee.

Naismith added: “We'll see if he's involved or not. That's at the end point. There have been a couple of things that have dragged it on a bit but we hope to have a clear solution to that today before anything kicks off tomorrow.

“I don't think I need to sell him too much because he's showed in his time in Scotland, first at Queen's Park and then last season at Dundee, where he played a really big part in their good season. He's probably underrated because he does a lot of the defensive side of things.

“He is athletic, he has a physicality about him and he's comfortable receiving the ball in the middle of the pitch which is a really good quality to have.”