A Hearts youngster could be heading to a Premier League club.
Hearts and Manchester City have agreed compensation over Tynecastle talent Keir McMeekin, as he takes a step closer to the Premier League heavyweight.
The Evening News understandsthat an agreement is now in place should the teenager sign a deal with them when he turns 16. The midfielder’s 16th birthday is next month and Manchester City plus city rivals, Manchester United, were amongst the clubs competing for his signature.
Liverpool had also been scouting McMeekin amid his quickfire rise through the Hearts youth academy. The Premiership club have wanted to keep the emerging starlet on their books and put forward a contract of their own for when he turns 16 but the player and his family have also visited Manchester for a tour of the Citizens’ elite facilities amid the weighing up process on his future.
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Keir McMeekin to Manchester City latest
He cannot sign a pro contract in Scotland until his 16th birthday. McMeekin is a Scotland internationalist at U17s level and his performances have been praised, stepping up to the senior environment this week for a friendly with Dunfermline Athletic. He has featured in other closed-door bounce games with Derek McInnes’ side this season, including against Ayr United at Tynecastle, alongside regular training with the first team.
Under FIFA rules on player development, Hearts are owed compensation in the event of McMeekin leaving, having been part of their academy since joining from Duloch Juniors at the age of seven. Hearts have handed first team chances to several players in recent seasons including striker James Wilson, right-back Adam Forrester, plus midfielders Macaulay Tait, Finlay Pollock and Aidan Denholm.
For the first team, next up is a league trip to Dundee on Sunday, as the club sit six points clear at the top of the division. Head coach McInnes said ahead of the game: “Very rarely do you get straightforward, run-of-the-mill games. There's a lot on each game and from our point of view, we just need to meet that head-on. I just want every game to mean more than the last one and to do that, we need to keep winning.
Derek McInnes on Dundee vs Hearts
“From our point of view, we just want a bit more of the same. The players are confident, I'm enjoying, what I'm getting from them. It's important we search for those improvements and just keep calm with our work.
“I want us to meet the expectations of the support here and in time exceed those expectations. I don't think there's anybody at Hearts who's uncomfortable with where we are.
“We're exactly where we want to be. We've been top of the league now for over three months. It was back at the end of September where we went top of the league. This isn't just a little run of form. It isn't just a little spell. It's something more than that. It's something substantial. The test for us now is to try and build on it. If we just stand still and if we just make do and be pleased with our work up until now, we're not going to get the outcome that we want.
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