Islam Chesnokov Hearts future latest after reports emerge of pre-contract U-turn

Chesnokov agreed to join Hearts earlier this year on a free transfer after the end the Kazakh campaign. Currently at FC Tobol, he vowed to see out the season in a bid to help them win the league. However, they finished third behind Kairat Almaty and FC Astana.

Capped 21 times by Kazakhstan, the plan was for Chesnokov to travel to Edinburgh in coming weeks to acclimatise to Scottish football before being able to play for Hearts in January. However, the move was thrown into doubt on Monday morning when Kazakh media claimed that the 25-year-old has offers from clubs in Kazakhstan and Russia and may renege on his agreement with the Tynecastle side.

The Scotsman understands that Hearts still anticipate Chesnokov to join them in January and that they are unaware of any changes to the player’s preferences.

Speaking last month on Chesnokov, Hearts chief executive Andrew McKinlay said: “I think we shouldn’t forget we’ve already made a signing in Islam Chesnokov, who’ll come in. He can’t be registered until January, but he will join us for training purposes at the beginning of December, which I think is great and can allow him to get used to the surroundings, get used to Edinburgh, as we go into the lovely winter months. So that’s a big thing for January.”

Hearts are currently nine points clear at the top of the Premiership and head coach Derek McInnes has spoken of his excitement of Chesnokov bolstering his squad.

“We would ideally have liked to get him in before the the window closed there in the summer,” McInnes said in September. “But we fully believe that Chesnokov playing off that right hand side, and playing anywhere really across the front line, will give us something a bit different as well.

“He’s a Kazakhstani international, playing at a good level for a period of time. We feel he's ahead of some of the boys that we've brought in, in terms of the levels and in terms of the experience. Some of them there was that understanding when you bring them in that it's a bit of time to nurture them and get them up to it. But I think Chesnokov is a couple of steps ahead of the level where some of the lads we signed. So I think he's one that can come and hit the ground running.”