Hearts hope for bidding war as suitors circle Aaron Hickey

Capital club want ‘true value’ for defender to help improve team says Jim Jefferies

Manchester City, Bologna and Bayern Munich have been linked with 18-year-old Hearts defender Aaron Hickey. Picture: Paul Devlin/SNS

Rumours of his big move have been circulating for almost as long as Aaron Hickey has been in the Hearts first team.

A teenager who has made a huge impact since Craig Levein gave him his debut and offered him the chance to show off his temperament and ability in back-to-back meetings with Celtic, the second in a Scottish Cup final at Hampden, the level-headed full-back has been linked with several exalted suitors from across the continent.

From the likes of Manchester City, to Bologna and Bayern Munich, several interested parties have reportedly cast an eye over the promising 18-year-old, who has refused numerous offers of a new deal at Gorgie, making it clear that his future lies elsewhere.

Yesterday, there were reports that a £1.6 million deal had been struck between the capital club and Bayern but while Hearts’ sporting director Jim Jefferies maintains those reports are premature, the reality, he says, is that the promise of a hefty sum would see him leave Tynecastle sooner rather than later.

“Hearts tried hard to talk to him about a new contract. What we don’t want is for him to just see out his contract and then leave as a free agent. We would get development money but that wouldn’t be £1.6m!

“A whole load of clubs have been watching him so we want one to make a move so that we don’t lose out. You are hoping that clubs follow through their interest and there is competition to sign him. If one of them bites the bullet and makes a bid then that might bring others out and that would be even better because that pushes the price up. If we lose him we want to hopefully get the true value for him and that then helps us improve the team.

“Robbie [Neilson, the Hearts manager] wants to bring in his own players, every manager does, but the targets depend on how much money you have to spend.”

Former Motherwell winger Elliot Frear is already training with the Gorgie side, with Neilson open about his desire to sign him ahead of next season but the Hickey money could extend his rebuilding project and allow him to be even more ambitious.

Although the Hearts squad are just a few days into pre-season training, Neilson has watched enough of last season’s action to form opinions and problem areas have long-since been identified. Which is why there are already signing targets set out to address them.

Looking for a bit more mettle at the heart of his team, the Tynecastle boss has already been mulling over the prospect of a reunion with Dundee United midfielder Calum Butcher. The pair worked together at Tannadice but with a deal that runs until 2023 the Englishman would not be cheap.

“Like every manager who goes to a new club, Robbie will want to bring in people he knows and trusts to do a job. That’s the people a manager wants around him,” said Jefferies.

“When I left Falkirk and came to Hearts as a manager the first time, I went back for players I knew well. I brought in David Weir because I thought he was a bloody good player and I brought Stevie Fulton because I thought he could be an important player for us.

“Because he did so well with Dundee United, it’s only natural that Robbie would want to look there for people he trusts to bring him success.

“Calum Butcher, that’s a player that Robbie stands and falls by. But he has to have his own men and his own signings, as most managers do, and if Calum doesn’t want to come or we can’t afford him then he has to look elsewhere. He has other targets.”

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to scotsman.com and enjoy unlimited access to Scottish news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.scotsman.com/subscriptions now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Joy Yates

Editorial Director