The transfer hunt for Lincoln City defender MJ Kamson-Kamara is intensifying, with reports from Scotland suggesting Heart of Midlothian have held talks with the defender.
News of their interest broke over the Bank Holiday weekend, but the Daily Record goes one step further and suggests Derek McInnes’ side have now held talks with MJ, who is reported to be out of contract this summer.
Hearts took a huge step towards their first Scottish title since 1960 yesterday, as a second-half salvo saw them come from 1-0 down to beat Glasgow Rangers 2-1. With Rangers and Celtic set to meet, Hearts are just three matches away from finally taking the SPFL title out of Glasgow.
They’re also planning for the new season, and backed by Tony Bloom’s Jamestown Analytics, they’ve identified MJ as a possible signing this summer. He’s been impressing for Glentoran in Northern Ireland, making the NIFL Team of the Season, and being nominated for Young Player of the Year, missing out last night to Fraser Bryden of Crusaders.
It’s reported that MJ, brought in from Bromley at the age of 16, is out of contract at Sincil Bank, but we will be due compensation should we offer him a new deal. However, that compensation is likely to be less. When a player under 23 moves across the English border, such as to a Scottish club, their former club may be entitled to a development fee or training compensation, but not through the PFCC.
The FIFA system, established after the Bosman ruling, ensures clubs are reimbursed for training young players, even if the player leaves at the end of their contract. However, it is widely accepted that the FIFA system does not compensate clubs as well as the PFCC system, which saw us get around £500,000 for Sean Roughan from Huddersfield Town.
MJ put pen to paper on his first professional deal with the Imps in February 2023, committing his future to the club on a long-term basis. Like many young players, his development has come through getting minutes out on loan, first with Barwell during the 2023/24 campaign before stepping up to join Peterborough Sports the following season.
It was during that spell that he got his first taste of senior football with City, coming off the bench in the EFL Trophy against Grimsby Town, a small but significant milestone in his progress. After a brief return to the Bank in early 2025, he headed back to Peterborough Sports to continue his development through to the end of the season.
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