Hearts in bid to sign Romanian starlet Copil to five-year plan

DUMITRU COPIL'S agent will hold contract talks with Hearts this week hopeful of agreeing a deal that will see his client remain at Tynecastle for the next five years.

The Romanian teenager signed an initial two-year contract with the Jambos which runs until this summer with the option of a five-year extension.

However, Hearts are understood to want to change the terms of the previously agreed deal with safeguards put in place after Copil went AWOL last season after becoming disillusioned at lack of first-team opportunities afforded to him. The youngster featured just twice for the Hearts top team during their pre-season tour of Germany last season and failed to play a single competitive match.

For the new contract to kick in, the paperwork must be signed by both Copil and Hearts. The player's agent, Adrian Stefanescu, is hopeful that terms can be agreed.

Hearts' coaching staff are known to rate the youngster very highly although question marks remain over the player's ability to settle in this country.

Copil returned to Edinburgh yesterday when the under-19 squad reported back to Riccarton while Stefanescu is due to jet into Scotland to try and ascertain the future of his client.

"Dumitru is in Edinburgh and I will arrive soon," he told the Evening News. "The information that we have from Hearts is that the deal seems to be the similar to before. He has just to sign the extension for the next five years. I am hopeful that the deal will go through soon. Of course, Hearts are looking for a new manager and we don't know what plans he might have. But we know that the coaches at Hearts were happy with the way Dumitru plays and he wants to remain there."