Hearts manager Robbie Neilson has revealed that the club are still looking to reach a breakthrough in terms of their pursuit of Sheffield Wednesday forward Callum Paterson.

With the transfer window set to close next Tuesday, there is only a short amount of time for the Scottish outfit to seal a reunion with Paterson this month.

A recent report from the Edinburgh News suggested that Hearts had lodged two bids for the 28-year-old this month and that Wednesday had yet to make a final decision regarding Paterson's future at Hillsborough.

Paterson started his career with Hearts before sealing a move to Cardiff City in 2017.

Since joining the Owls in 2020, the Scotland international has made 117 appearances for the club in all competitions.

During the current campaign, Paterson has provided seven direct goal contributions in the 27 games that he has featured in.

With the Owls set to take on Fleetwood Town in the FA Cup this weekend, Paterson may be handed the opportunity to showcase his ability in this clash by manager Darren Moore.

Making reference to Paterson, Hearts boss Neilson said that the club are still working hard as they look to seal a move for the forward.

Speaking to The Herald about his side's pursuit of Paterson, Neilson said: "We're working on that at the moment but as we know at this time of [the] year it can be difficult.

"We've got a couple of targets there and we'll try and get one of them in.

"I'd like to get it done before the weekend but I'm not so sure."

 

 

The Verdict

Unless Hearts table a reasonable offer for Paterson, it would not be at all surprising if the former Cardiff man remains at Hillsborough despite the interest shown by the Scottish outfit.

Letting Paterson leave at this stage of the window could turn out to be a mistake as there is no guarantee that Wednesday will be able to draft in a suitable replacement.

As well as leading the line for Wednesday, Paterson is capable of playing in a host of other positions and thus could prove to be an asset for the club in their quest for success in League One.

Currently four points clear of promotion rivals Ipswich Town in the third-tier standings, the Owls will be looking to widen this gap over the course of the coming weeks.