Impending Osman Sow departure sparks late Hearts spending spree
Tuesday 2 February 2016 09:00, UK
Hearts striker Osman Sow ls poised for a switch to the Chinese Super League. sparking a frenzied day of transfer activity on Gorgie Road.
Hearts are understood to be expecting a seven-figure sum if Sow's proposed move to Henan Jianye goes through this week, and head coach Robbie Neilson has wasted no time in bolstering his squad.
Don Cowie became the first signing of the transfer window and he was to be followed later in the day by Nigerian-born striker Abiola Dauda - Neilson's 'No 1 target' - while their prolonged pursuit of John Souttar is finally expected to bear fruit.
Meanwhile, Morgaro Gomis has been allowed to join Motherwell on loan until the end of the season and Danny Swanson has also left the club.
Scotland international Cowie has signed until May 2018 having passed a medical following his departure from Wigan Athletic and on a busy day at Riccarton,
Cowie, who has Premier League experience with Cardiff, played for Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Ross County earlier in his career, a fact that played a key part in Neilson's willingness to seal the deal.
Neilson told the club's website: "I'm delighted to get Don signed up. He'll bring experience to the table, which is invaluable when you're trying to blood younger players into the first team.
"He's played in the Scottish top flight before so knows our game, and he's played at the highest level down south and won a Championship, so I know he's a winner.
"Having played in England, he'll show the players here the level they'll have to get to if they have aspirations to play there themselves. He's a great capture and I'm certain he'll prove to be great value for this club."
Another new arrival is Dauda, who has moved to Edinburgh on loan until the end of the season from Dutch side Vitesse Arnheim. He has played in Sweden and in Serbia with Red Star Belgrade where he scored 16 goals in 36 appearances before making a £370,000 switch to Holland.
He said on social media: "Wanna say thanks to Hearts for this great opportunity. I hope my time here will bring glory to the club and me and I also wanna thank Vitesse for my time there, looking forward too this new challenge with Hearts."
Meanwhile, Souttar arrived at Tynecastle on Monday evening ahead of a permanent move from Tannadice; Sky sources understand a fee has yet to be agreed for the 19-year-old but other details of the move have been finalised.
The Scotland U21 international is a product of United's well-regarded youth academy, and has made more than 74 appearances for the club. He recently turned down the offer of a new deal with United, adding weight to Hearts' offer.
Swanson, who has been linked with a return to St Johnstone, leaves the club by mutual consent, and a statement read: "Danny leaves Tynecastle after nine appearances in a Hearts shirt this season. The club wishes Danny all the best in the future."
Sow - who had only five months left on his Tynecastle deal - is due to have a medical at Henan Jianye, who signed former Hearts and Dundee United defender Ryan McGowan earlier this month.
The fans' favourite has scored 37 goals in 44 appearances since arriving on a free transfer two years ago; he scored a stoppage-time winner on his league debut at Ibrox and was ordered off in his next appearance in the Edinburgh derby for an elbow in the face of Michael Nelson.
Gomis moved to Tynecastle from Dundee United two years ago and has gone to make over 50 appearances but he will now be engaged in Motherwell's fight to preserve their Premiership status.
Neilson said: "Morgaro is at the stage where he wants to play regular first-team football every Saturday and with the depth of our squad it was something I couldn't guarantee."
