Ben Woodburn may not seal a loan deal to Hearts until the end of the transfer window, according to one of the player’s agents.
Despite looking to be on the verge of a move, the Liverpool midfielder’s temporary exit looks like it could go through later than expected - meaning his debut would potentially come in the Edinburgh derby against Hearts.
The 21-year-old has attracted the interest of manager Robbie Neilson, with Hearts fans hopeful the Wales international could even feature this weekend as an agreement looked to be close.
However, Allan Preston, who works on behalf of Woodburn’s representatives ICM Stellar Sports, has said on Twitter that there is “zero” chance of the midfielder signing before the club’s game against Aberdeen on Sunday.
In a separate tweet, Preston said, “he won’t be here for the weekend and maybe not even next weekend, at best before the window closes”.
If the two clubs do only reach an agreement at the end of the window, Liverpool’s youngest-ever goalscorer would have to wait another week to make his debut due to the international break.
Playing his first game against Hibs would be a huge sign of confidence in Woodburn from Neilson, who has struggled to show his true quality in previous loan spells with Sheffield United, Blackpool and Oxford United.
His performances have impressed the Liverpool coaching staff during pre-season, with Jurgen Klopp’s assistant Pep Lijnders indicating that he believes the 21-year-old has “an Anfield future”, despite having a year left on his contract.
