Hearts hit signing snag for Lee Seung-Woo as midfielder goes on trial at Riccarton

Hearts' bid to sign South Korea international forward Lee Seung-woo from Suwon FC may be delayed by the Korean football season.

Talks over a deal for the 24-year-old are ongoing with the Tynecastle club hoping to trigger a release clause. According to the Edinburgh Evening News the K-League 1 club are reluctant to lose their star man mid-season despite a three-year deal being lined up with the former Barcelona player.

Lee plays off the left wing or through the middle and has scored 10 times this season but is suspended for his side’s next two games, giving Hearts more time to negotiate with his club.

While Robbie Neilson waits for what would be a headline move of his pre-season recruitment drive, he is continuing to run the rule over another potential recruit in midfield. Jacob Davenport has been training with the first-team at Riccarton while talks over a potential move continue.

Davenport, a central midfielder, left Blackburn Rovers when his contract expired earlier in the summer and heads north having previously been on trial with Reading during the close season.

Hearts remain keen to strengthen the midfield area. Full-back Michael Smith was used in the middle as Peter Haring’s partner for the win over Ross County at the weekend with Cammy Devlin still making his comeback from a hamstring injury, while Beni Baningime continues his long-term recovery from an ACL rupture.

The club’s coaching staff will continue to monitor 23-year-old Davenport, who began his career at Manchester City, with a view to potentially adding to the six signings made so far this summer before the end of the month and transfer window.