Vrancken says Braga ‘ready’ for Hearts amid Champions League and Lyon links

Hearts boss Wouter Vrancken says Claudio Braga remains “ready” to play a part in the club’s Champions League adventure, despite the striker being strongly linked with a summer move to French club Lyon.

The Jambos are due to begin their Champions League campaign away to Sturm Graz in a couple of weeks, and Braga has been central to speculation over a big-money exit before that tie takes place.

Speaking in Spain, where Hearts have been on a pre-season training camp, Vrancken said he had heard nothing concrete about any approach for the forward and made clear that, while he remains a Hearts player, he will be treated as a first-team option.

“I don’t know. I don’t hear it. I didn’t hear it until now that there’s really concrete interest,” Vrancken said. “As long as he’s here, I treat him like he can start the game. I put my energy in the guys who are here. At this moment, Claudio is here. Mentally and physically, he’s also ready to perform.”

Vrancken accepts transfer reality

The Belgian coach acknowledged that the transfer window can shift quickly, and suggested this could be a chance for Braga to boost his profile even further while wearing a Hearts shirt.

“It can also be a good thing to show himself again,” Vrancken said. “I think for him it can also be a window when he wants to make the transfer. At the same time, when you’re a coach, you rather have your good players staying with you.”

He went on to explain that developing players who can eventually move on to bigger leagues is simply part of the football model at clubs like Hearts, comparing it to the pathway in his native Belgium.

“It’s also the model, of course. Not the model in Hearts, but the model in every team,” he added. “For example, also in Belgium, to make players better so they can make the next step to a big league and get the money for it, the transfer value for it. That’s also to stay healthy as a club, I think.”

Squad size admission

Hearts travelled to Spain for their training camp with a 30-strong squad, though a number of players are still working their way back from injury, and Cammy Devlin’s contract situation remains unresolved.

Vrancken indicated he would ultimately prefer a leaner squad heading into the season proper, with European football adding an extra layer of demand on his squad planning.

“I think it’s best that you go like 26, 27 in total with the goalkeepers in. I think that would be perfect,” he said. “But like I said, it’s difficult to make an evaluation at 45 minutes already,” referring to the limited playing time most players had received during the Spain training camp.

With Braga’s future still unclear and Hearts’ Champions League opener against Sturm Graz fast approaching, Vrancken will be hoping any transfer business is either concluded or ruled out before his side face the Austrian outfit.

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