Hearts are set to add another player to their ranks this summer, with The Scotsman reporting that a deal is very close for Calem Nieuwenhof.
Who is Calem Nieuwenhof?
The 22-year-old currently plies his trade for Western Sydney Wanderers in Australia and despite being relatively early on in his career, has already impressed with his performances for the club.
He was handed his league debut for the side as a 19-year-old, and he was around the squad when they claimed the league title a season earlier. Despite being in his teens, he started five games during that 2020/21 campaign and didn't look out of place either, bagging a goal and an assist from midfield. Despite falling out of favour a season later – he didn't start a single league fixture and managed only two appearances – he really burst onto the scene in 2022/23.
From two games to 26 in the A-League, he became a key player of the WSW team and was arguably one of their most impressive stars with his marshalling displays in the centre of the field. He bagged four goals and one assist, the best tallies of his career, and helped them to fourth in the division.
He also ranked in fourth for the amount of tackles won by any player in the entire league with 50, and his 2293 minutes played was the tenth highest in the division. It showed how crucial Nieuwenhof became for his team, as they continued to play him week-in and week-out.
Are Hearts signing Calem Nieuwenhof?
It's these displays that could now see him leave his home country and head to Scotland. The youngster is now a wanted man, with Scottish Premiership side Hearts trying to secure a deal for the 22-year-old.
It seems as though that transfer could be quite far along now too, according to a report from The Scotsman. They state a deal it is at an "advanced stage" and there is little left to do in terms of getting the midfielder to put pen to paper. Whilst a deal has not officially gone over the line yet then, it does appear it will happen in the very near future, with Nieuwenhof rejecting the opportunity to stay on with the Wanderers in spite of a fresh contract offer.
Nieuwenhof looks to be a promising addition to Hearts' squad by Steven Naismith. Having finally made a signing in Michael McGovern on a free from Norwich, they now look to be moving swiftly on and strengthening other areas of their team, and Nieuwenhof could certainly help shore up their midfield, with his age also meaning he has the potential to get even better and perhaps to double or even triple the investment the Scottish side have made on him.
He's yet to make his debut for the Australian national side or their Under-23 team, but you would have to think that with the trajectory he is on, he could feature for them in the future. An appearance on the international stage would certainly help increase his value – and so the midfielder does seem like a worthy investment from the Jambos whether he stays for the long haul or thrives and moves on.