It’s been a season to forget for the Hearts faithful who like so many other football clubs, face a testing summer with the increasing uncertainty engulfing the footballing world at the moment.
Aside from the season’s finish yet to be in sight, the club sit bottom of the SPL with 14 points separating them from the top-half. Even though Hearts supremo Ann Budge has been fighting to keep the club in the Premiership with the reconstruction talks, her entire agenda seems kind of moot given the overwhelming majority she would need to steer that ship.
While league standings and relegation might be the greatest of the problems facing Heart of Midlothian FC at the moment, a glaring issue or a fallout from that which might be hitting the club sooner rather than later is the string of players who could well depart in the summer.
This season, even though it’s been cut short, has been nothing short of a disaster where Hearts’ league position is concerned, and big changes under Daniel Stendel come June would have been imminent irrespective of the Pandemic and now it seems the club might face a bigger job holding on to the existing players rather than trying to get new ones into the door.
Here are some of the present Hearts first team members who could be the first ones to be out of the door before next season:
1) Uche Ikpeazu :
From an immensely spectacular season to a wholeheartedly disappointing one, Uche Ikpeazu scored just twice in the league this season. The collective blame for this seasons present scenario lies with all the players and the coaching staff but Ikpeazu might just be one of the biggest disappointments this season that neither of us had expected.
With reports stating that Celtic along with Wigan, Bristol City and Derby all having scouted the powerful striker extensively last season, he might be one of first ones heading out the exit door.
2) Aaron Hickey
The 17-year-old full-back has been one of the biggest revelations this season in an otherwise pretty gloomy campaign and has been a regular in defence ever since his debut against Celtic, turning out 33 times for the capital club already.
With many calling him as the clubs biggest asset at the moment, it could be heartbreaking but financially an astute decision if Ann Budge decides to sell him off in order to recoup the £1million that Hearts have apparently lost in revenue due to the pandemic.
With a host of big name clubs like Manchester City, Crystal Palace, Norwich City, AC Milan and Rangers all being reportedly linked with a possible move with the Hearts sensation, a £1million move away from Edinburgh might just be what the club needs at the moment.
Hearts star Aaron Hickey watched by EPL sides including Arsenal and Liverpool against Rangershttps://t.co/WiuknmfiJz pic.twitter.com/pWwtdvH9Gn
— Scottish Sun Sport (@scotsunsport) October 22, 2019
3) Oliver Bozanic
The 31-year-old Australian midfielder is into his second season with the club with his contract due to expire in May this year. Despite having put in descent performances at the heart of the midfield for the Jambos, he might be one of the first ones to be shipped out in the summer with the club crunching up numbers looking for ways to constrict the wage bill.
With Marcel Langer being a relatively unknown figure in the team yet and Toby Sibbick’s glandular fever restricting him to just one appearance so far, midfield will surely be one of the primary areas for the club to make a few a number of alterations and Oliver Bozanic might just have his contract not extended in order to accommodate a younger new acquisition into the Hearts FC midfield.