Hearts tie up new defender

HEARTS head coach Graham Rix today confirmed his second signing of the transfer window with the capture of Lithuanian international defender Nerijus Barasa from the Russian side, Kryla Sovetov Samara.

The versatile Barasa has been on trial with Hearts at their Riccarton training base for the last two weeks and, although he was reported as having signed earlier this week, it was only last night that he formally put pen to paper.

The commitment of Barasa, who has won 24 caps for his country, to Hearts has delighted Rix, who said: "He can play right-back, he can play right midfield and he can play centre midfield, so he gives us good options.

"He is strong , quick and aggressive. Fortunately, Robbie Neilson has played every game this season but we don't have another right-back at the club. Now this gives us a bit of cover there.

"Nerijus is a good lad and I like what I've seen of him. This signing is one of the benefits of the contacts Mr Romanov has."

Barasa's fellow trialist Michal Golinski was due to fly home to Poland today after Hearts rejected him on the grounds of insufficient fitness.

The midfielder hadn't trained for four weeks prior to arriving in Edinburgh due to the winter shutdown in the Polish league, where he plays for Groclin. However, Rix has not ruled out having Golinski back at some point in the future.

Australian Under-17 midfielder Matthew Park was due to arrive in Edinburgh this morning to complete his transfer to Hearts from the Australian club Frankston Strikers.

The teenager endured an exhausting 24-hour flight from Melbourne yesterday to realise his footballing ambition of playing in Europe, and is expected to formally sign on at Tynecastle in the coming days.

Park can operate on the left side of midfield or defence and will initially go into the Hearts youth team.

Hearts are also near to securing the signature of the highly-rated Bulgarian Branimar Kostadinov, who has been on trial at Riccarton this week. Kostadinov is only 16 and is reputed to be one of the most promising prospects on the Continent.

Talks were due to take place today between Hearts and Manchester United over another 16-year-old, Daniel Galbraith, who was the subject of a £50,000 bid from Old Trafford at the end of December.

Tynecastle youth academy director John Murray said: "The boy is still a Hearts player and there is a fee to sort out but he wants to go and we aren't going to stop him going."

One player definitely on his way out of the Gorgie club, at least for the time being, is striker Graham Weir, who has completed a loan move to Queen of the South.

The 21-year-old has only just returned to fitness following a frustrating spell on the sidelines and has joined the First Division outfit until the end of the season.

Taken from the Scotsman