Beslija wanted by Reading

READING are trying to lure Hearts' record signing Mirsad Beslija to the Premiership for next season.

The Bosnian winger has become increasingly frustrated by his lack of first-team action since signing for £800,000 in January from the Belgian club Racing Genk.

Steve Coppell's Reading side have attained promotion to England's top flight as runaway winners of the Championship and have now intimated an interest in taking Beslija south as they seek summer reinforcements.

Beslija played for Hearts in yesterday's defeat at Ibrox, which was only his third start. He has made just five appearances for the club in total.

Having initially rejected the advances of English clubs Sunderland and Leeds United in favour of Tynecastle, Beslija has grown bewildered at his continual omission from the side, and as Reading dangle their Premiership carrot his agent is due to jet to Edinburgh for critical talks with Hearts on the player's future.

"He is annoyed at not playing," said Sam Stapleton. "If something comes up in the summer we'll see what we can do with him. We're going to go and have a chat with Hearts, who insist they are very happy with him, but he's just not playing and as we all know footballers want to play.

"If clubs are making inquiries in the summer then we'll have to pursue that avenue. If Hearts are going to be difficult then we'll go down the route of a transfer request. But you never know, he might have a good pre-season and get back involved but, at the moment, he is far from happy."

It is understood that Reading are more likely to favour a loan move for Beslija than an outright transfer. Stapleton did not confirm or deny their interest but he did concede that the Bosnian's inactivity since January has been noted in England.

"We have had interest in him, so people have realised that he's not playing and everyone is monitoring it. We are still due a meeting with Hearts to find out what the hell is going on. It's just a funny one that they should pay all that money for him and then not play him.

"We're not likely to be talking the same money as they paid for him because he's hardly played, so it would either be a loan deal or Hearts would have to take a loss. I don't see that they would want to let him go because they do seem to rate him as a club, but for whatever reason he's just not playing."

The agent of Lee Bowyer, meanwhile, has dismissed rumours of a summer move to Hearts for the Newcastle United midfielder. Bowyer is one of a number of high earners with an uncertain future at St James' Park but David Giess told the Evening News that no interest has been declared from Tynecastle.

"I don't know where that's come from," he said. "Lee's future will depend on who goes in as manager at Newcastle and what they think of him. I haven't heard a thing from Hearts."

Season tickets for next season are available from tomorrow through the club, with prices ranging from £80 in the bronze section of the stadium to £425 in the platinum zone. Hearts are expecting huge demand given their recent qualification for the preliminary rounds of the Champions League, and as such have introduced a new priority waiting list for non-season ticket holders.

Taken from the Scotsman