Premier League side secure the Scotland international striker
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James Wilson has completed a loan move from Hearts to Tottenham Hotspur which includes the option of a permanent transfer. The two clubs agreed a deal earlier today for the 18-year-old Scotland internationalist. It sees Hearts receive an immediate six-figure loan payment followed by transfer fee if Spurs decide to sign Wilson permanently at the end of the season.
The pre-agreed summer fee is understood to be £2.5m before add-ons, with Hearts also entitled to a sell-on fee should Spurs transfer Wilson to another club in future. The Edinburgh club were in no rush to see one of their most promising youth academy graduates leave, but the striker is keen to play more often after dropping to the fringes of the Tynecastle first-team squad. He now gets the opportunity to impress English Premier League coaches.
Both Tottenham and their London rivals Arsenal approached Hearts in recent days as interest in the youngster grew. Arsenal held talks with Tynecastle officials but Spurs stepped in with the offer of a loan fee and the option of a summer deal for an agreed sum. Hearts accepted it and Wilson travelled south on Monday to finalise the paperwork ahead of England’s transfer window closing at 7pm.
He will initially join Tottenham’s Under-21 side and play in Premier League 2. He will then hope to break into their senior squad in time, although competition for places will be fierce in amongst players worth tens of millions of pounds. Wilson is keen to play as much as possible during the second half of the season and then see whether that leads to a permanent contract with Spurs.
He managed 10 appearances for Hearts this season but found himself down the pecking order when it came to attacking places. Lawrence Shankland, Landry Kabore, Claudio Braga and Elton Kabangu were all ahead of the young Scot and he grew frustrated by the lack of game time. He started three of the Edinburgh club’s four League Cup group stage matches in July last year, but since then only made the starting line-up once. That was against Motherwell in August.
The move to Spurs offers the chance of more regular football and, potentially, the long-term opportunity to make an impact in one of the strongest leagues in the world. The next six months will be pivotal to the player’s future in London after he took the chance to leave formative club Hearts. His contract there runs until 2027. Should Tottenham decide not to invoke their option to sign him permanently, Wilson would then be contractually obliged to report to Riccarton for pre-season training in June ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.
Hearts issued a statement confirming Wilson’s loan departure. It read: “James Wilson has completed a loan move to Tottenham Hotspur. The 18-year-old heads south to join the English Premier League outfit’s U21 side until the end of this season, subject to international clearance and Scottish FA approval.
“The terms of the loan move include an option to buy, for an undisclosed fee, on Spurs’ part. James rose to prominence last season with an Edinburgh derby strike and went on to win a full Scotland cap. He’s pulled on the maroon jersey on 45 occasions, scoring eight goals. Everyone at Hearts wishes James the best of luck at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.”