Hearts' bid to lure McLeod 'is dead'

IZALE McLEOD'S proposed move to Hearts is dead, according to the player's agent, with English Championship club Peterborough United close to concluding the 25-year-old's transfer from Charlton Athletic.

Tony Finnigan, McLeod's representative, said his client could no longer wait to see if Hearts would finalise a move north after he trained for two days at Riccarton last week. The offer from Peterborough has been accepted providing terms can be agreed, but Finnigan insisted McLeod's first choice was Tynecastle.

"If it was a straight choice between Peterborough and Hearts, I guarantee he'd have chosen Hearts," he said. "They are a big club in the Scottish Premier League. However, the Hearts move is 100 per cent dead. I got a call on Tuesday from Mr Kornakov (Hearts' interpreter]. He said, 'Tony, I'm just keeping you in the loop. I don't have any messages for you or anything to tell you.' I spoke to Izale and we decided the Hearts thing is over.

"I've spoken to Barry Fry at Peterborough, I've spoken to Richard Murray (Charlton chairman] and the lad said he'd go there. He can't sit here and wait on Hearts. He was up there and wanted to sign and get on with it.

"He went up there so they could have got the deal done there and then. He was more than happy to play for Hearts and start scoring goals.

"Now this has come up. I've spoken to the new manager at Peterborough, Mark Cooper, who said he wants Izale to be his first signing, so god willing, it will go through okay."

Steven MacLean, who trained alongside McLeod at Riccarton last week, remains in Plymouth awaiting news from Hearts on whether they will proceed with a loan deal. He last heard from Tynecastle officials at the weekend and, although he has a concrete offer from Aberdeen, he is holding out hoping for contact from Hearts.