HEARTS coaching staff have recommended Rangers forward Alan Gow to Vladimir Romanov as a potential signing target for next season, the Evening News can reveal.
The 25-year-old is one of several British players contained in a list passed to the club's majority shareholder in Lithuania.
As we revealed earlier this week, Dundee United's Mark Kerr is also interesting Hearts and is available on a free transf
er. Gow still has two years of his contract remaining at Ibrox and would therefore be likely to command a transfer fee were he willing to leave.
The football department at Riccarton believe he could offer a different dimension to their attack and have urged Romanov to make enquiries.
Gow has played just twice for Rangers since joining on a pre-contract agreement from Falkirk 12 months ago. He remains out of favour having appeared only in low-key cup ties earlier this season against East Fife and East Stirling. It is understood he may consider a loan move to re-ignite his career.
Hearts require to reinforce their attack this summer after several strikers left the club. Roman Bednar is expected to complete a permanent transfer to West Bromwich Albion before the end of the month, while Michal Pospisil, Andrius Velicka and Ricardas Beniusis have already departed for good.
Juho Makela is on loan until July at the Finnish club HJK Helsinki, where he has scored three goals in the opening three games of the Veikkausliga campaign. Hearts also hope to be able to call upon a revitalised Mauricio Pinilla next season after handing the Chilean a new three-year contract.
Interim manager Stephen Frail today reported mixed team news ahead of this weekend's match with Kilmarnock. Under-19 captain Ryan McGowan will play either tomorrow or on Sunday in Robbie Neilson's testimonial but Portuguese midfielder Bruno Aguiar must wait until next season for his first-team comeback.
Aguiar has not played competitively in over a year since his ankle was badly damaged in a training ground tackle by Julien Brellier. He recently returned for Hearts reserves but has now suffered a slight setback which has ended his season just as it was beginning. "Ryan McGowan is in with a chance because his knee injury healed quickly," said Frail. "He played well in the East of Scotland Shield match against Hibs on Wednesday night. But Bruno won't make it.
"He was hoping to play some part before the end of the season but he's got another slight niggle relating to the injury he had and we'll leave him for now.
"He's fine psychologically because he's had a game, albeit only in the reserves. It's just a case of him playing football again because he might not have managed that at all.
"With Ryan, we have two games this weekend with Kilmarnock in the league and then Robbie's testimonial. If he doesn't feature in one he'll feature in the other. He is one of the ones we are looking to push on and get involved with the first-team squad on a regular basis next season."
