Hearts close in on Elton Kabangu - position, history and how top transfer target nearly died at 22

Jambos hope to land 26y/o Belgian forward to assist relegation fight

Hearts are closing in on a loan deal for Union Saint-Gilloise forward Elton Kabangu, with the Tynecastle hierarchy hopeful of concluding his arrival when the winter transfer window opens on January 1.

Sitting 11th in the Premiership ahead of Sunday’s trip to Ross County, the Jambos are embroiled in a relegation battle and are expected to strengthen their squad next month. One of their priority positions is in attack, given that current forwards Lawrence Shankland, James Wilson, Kenneth Vargas and Liam Boyce have failed to fire this season. Last season’s talisman Shankland has only netted three times this term.

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Hearts head coach Neil Critchley, who took over from Steven Naismith in October, is keen for further options in the final third and with the assistance of Tony Bloom’s Jamestown Analytics database, Kabangu has emerged as one of their principal targets, according to the Edinburgh Evening News.

Elton Kabangu, right, is currently at USG in Belgium.Elton Kabangu, right, is currently at USG in Belgium.
Elton Kabangu, right, is currently at USG in Belgium. | BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images

Currently at Belgian Jupiler Pro League side USG, Kabangu has fallen out of the first-team picture this term. The 26-year-old, who can play out wide or as a No 9, has only featured seven times across all competitions, with his last appearance coming in late November as an 86th-minute substitute in a Europa League win over Twente.

Kabangu joined USG from Dutch side Willem II in the summer of 2023 and played 15 matches last term. Prior to moving back to Belgium, the country of his birth, his senior career began with Eindhoven in the Eerste Divisie in 2018 before moving to Willem II in 2019. He spent four years with the Tilburg-based club before his transfer to USC.

Kabangu’s fight with Covid

It was during Kabangu’s time with Willem II when he faced one of the biggest battles of his career in July 2020. During the coronavirus pandemic, the then 22-year-old contracted Covid-19 and flirted with death, spending several weeks in hospital in an intensive care unit.

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Speaking after his horrific ordeal, Kabangu told Laatste Nieuws four years ago: "The first three days I stayed in Tilburg, in the Netherlands, because I wasn't suffering from anything. But then I started to have pretty much all the symptoms. I lost my sense of taste and smell, I had muscle pain, I was tired all the time and I especially suffered from severe coughing fits.

"My brother had to come and get me. I couldn't even drive. I was so tired. One day, I coughed up blood. We said to ourselves that this couldn't go on any longer and we immediately went to the emergency room.

"I could see the panic on the doctors' faces. I was scared, I didn't know what was going to happen. Then I took morphine and fell asleep.

Kabangu has only featured seven times for USG this season.Kabangu has only featured seven times for USG this season.
Kabangu has only featured seven times for USG this season. | BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images

He was in a coma for weeks and recalling when he woke up, Kabangu revealed: "The first two days, I could only look around a little. I didn't know anything. My mother was only allowed to visit me behind a window. And all I could do was stare at her. I could feel her fear through the window. I was in danger of death at every moment. The doctors even said that my awakening was a miracle.”

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Kabangu needed the help of a personal physiotherapist to return to full fitness. "He simply said that we were going for a walk,” continued Kabangu. “I then looked under my blanket, I had lost six kilos and I couldn't even get up. Walking was utopian at the time. I had to start all over again.

"On my hospital bed, I realised that playing football is the best possible thing. If I survived, it's because there is a reason. That's why I wanted to get back on the pitch as soon as possible. My future is there. My family, my teammates, the manager and the club have always believed in me. So I decided to come back stronger than ever. Whether it's tomorrow, in a few weeks or a few months."

Kabangu did indeed return to full fitness and became a prominent member of the Willem II team until his move back across the border to Belgium in 2023.

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