Lincoln City defender MJ Kamson-Kamara will complete a move to Hearts at the completion of his contract.
As part of the deal, the Imps will receive a cross-border compensation fee from the Scottish Premiership runners-up due to the player being under 24.
Kamson-Kamara signed his first professional contract with the Imps in 2023 after joining from Bromley and coming through the club’s scholarship programme. The 20-year-old made his senior debut for the Imps in the Vertu Trophy against Grimsby Town in 2024 and spent time on loan at Barwell and Peterborough Sports before enjoying a successful loan at Glentoran for the 2025/26 campaign.
He was nominated for Young Player of the Year in Ireland, and his physical profile was spotted by SPFL runners-up Hearts. They missed out on the title on an agonising final day of the season, and are now recruiting for another assault. They’ve been linked with a six-figure move for Malachi Fagan-Walcott from York City, and they’re now going to also pick up MJ for six figures.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for MJ at a club that is only going in one direction,” sporting director Jez George said
“With the strength in depth that we have in his position, further enhanced by the addition of Deji Elerewe in January, we simply do not have a pathway for him, and as he is 21 on his next birthday, the time is right for him to move on.
“Due to FIFA rules for cross-border compensation, it means that we will receive a significant six-figure fee, so we are compensated for the four years of his development at the club. We wish MJ well for his future career.”
MJ will follow in the footsteps of Jorge Grant, who also went from the Imps to Hearts, and who also had a spell playing in Peterborough between his final Imps appearance and his move to Hearts, albeit with different clubs.
A small part of me is sorry we didn’t get to see MJ in a Lincoln shirt. He felt like the sort of player whose profile could have a lasting effect on the Imps’ team, even if he is a bit off the first team picture. It is another success story for the academy, with MJ joining the likes of Jovon Makama and Sean Roughan, who have moved on for a fee after graduating.
While Rangers and Celtic are big fish in Scotland, the SPFL is around the 39th strongest league in the world, ranked one place above League One. Hearts are undoubtedly a bigger club, but again, in the latest Opta rankings, we are ranked 159th in the world, while Hearts are placed at 273.
You must be logged in to post a comment.