New signing to help Hearts after the Dundee debacle
Paperwork is still being processed for the Andrés Salazar deal
Andrés Salazar’s proposed loan move to Hearts is nearing completion and could be finalised this week as the club await a UK visa for the Colombian left-back. The Home Office are processing paperwork having received a Governing Body Endorsement from the Scottish Football Association to approve the transfer.
Salazar agreed terms on a season-long loan from Atletico Nacional, which carries the option of a permanent transfer next year. His arrival is designed to strengthen a Hearts defence which looked disjointed during Saturday’s 3-1 defeat at Dundee. However, he is likely to miss next week’s Europa League play-off first leg due to UK immigration rules.
Even if the visa and international clearance are through, Salazar will not be allowed to leave the country until he receives a Biometric Residence Permit card. UK immigration law states that a BRP is required at border control when an immigrant leaves or re-enters the country. That normally takes around 10 days to two weeks to come through after the visa is approved.
Hearts are due to travel abroad on Wednesday, 21 August, for the away leg of the Europa play-off against either Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih or Viktoria Plzen 24 hours later. Last year, they flew to Norway to face Rosenborg without Japanese forward Kyosuke Tagawa and Australian midfielder Calem Nieuwenhof. Both players had visas granted but their BRP cards did not arrive in time for them to travel.
UEFA’s registration deadline for the play-off round is this Friday, 16 August, at 11pm UK time. Hearts can name Salazar in their European squad if his signing is confirmed in time, but he would be unable to travel for next week’s first leg without his BRP card. That would leave him eligible for the return leg at Tynecastle Park on Thursday, 29 August
The 21-year-old arrived in Edinburgh earlier this month and is awaiting clearance to begin his Hearts career in earnest. Head coach Steven Naismith admitted the club are now playing a waiting game. “We will see where the Salazar one goes. We are obviously going through the process of that and it’s just on to the visa now. Hopefully that will be done at some point this week,” he said.
Hearts officials have studied footage of both Kryvbas and Plzen as they prepare to face the winner of the third-round qualifying tie. Plzen beat Kryvbas 2-1 in the first leg last Thursday and host the Ukrainians at the Doosan Arena in the second leg this Thursday.
“We have videos of their friendlies, early league games, and we are getting eyes on them at every opportunity,” explained Naismith. “We are building an understanding of them and that will continue over the next couple of weeks There is an excitement around the draw, even though some teams are more unknown than others. I believe we can go through in the tie. Looking at both teams, I think they are two decent teams.
“Plzen have been in European competition consistently. They have a style of play which they like, but Kryvbas had a successful season last season. We know it will be tough. The European games will be different. The games are not as structured, not as end-to-end and there aren’t as many turnovers. If we can deal with that and make sure we hurt teams when we have the ball – which I think we have the attributes to do – then I think we have a good chance.”
