Jung-hwan keen to talk to Hearts

NEGOTIATIONS on a deal to take the South Korean World Cup striker Ahn Jung-hwan to Hearts will begin within days, according to the player's agent.

Tom Sanders, who represents Jung-hwan, says his client is keen to come to Scotland.

Currently plying his trade in Germany with MSV Duisburg, Jung-hwan is available for around £500,000. His club were relegated from the Bundesliga this season and the forward has no desire to play in the second tier of German football.

Sanders said Valdas Ivanauskas, Hearts' interim head coach, had been in touch about Jung-hwan and explained the Tynecastle club would be interested in taking the player regardless of whether the Lithuanian remains in charge.

"He told me that someone from the club will contact me in a couple of days," Sanders told BBC Sport. "Negotiations will begin over a salary. He is very keen on moving to Scotland."

Jung-hwan, 30, is something of a superstar in his native South Korea and his signing would open new commercial avenues to Hearts. He is best remembered for scoring the extra-time golden goal which eliminated Italy from the 2002 World Cup. Perugia, his club at the time, were so angry they barred him and he never again played for the Serie A side.

He is in the South Korea squad for this year's World Cup finals and is due in Scotland this weekend where Dick Advocaat's side will have a training base.

Meanwhile, Hearts winger Neil McCann is poised for a return to full training three weeks ahead of schedule.

The Scotland international suffered knee ligament damage in his first game for the Edinburgh club after returning to the club from Southampton in January. He then picked up an ankle injury which saw him ruled out for the rest of the season. McCann had originally looked set to resume training on 12 July but Tynecastle assistant coach John McGlynn is confident the former Rangers player will be fit in time for the start of pre-season preparations on 23 June.

McGlynn said: "I saw Neil earlier in the week and he's feeling good. We're hoping he's going to be ready to begin pre-season training with us. That's the aim."

But former Portugal Under-21 defender Jose Goncalves looks set for a lengthier spell on the sidelines with the hamstring tear which saw him miss the end of this season. "It looks more likely that we'll see McCann before we do Goncalves," added McGlynn.

Former Hearts defender Kevin McKenna has extended his stay with Energie Cottbus by signing a four-year contract with the German side who have won promotion to this Bundesliga.

Taken from the Scotsman