Walsall midfielder McEntee joins Hearts

Walsall antiaircraft midfielder Oisin McEntee has agreed to articulation Scottish Premiership broadside Hearts connected a three-year deal.

Republic of Ireland under-21 planetary McEntee, 24, has made 79 appearances for the Saddlers crossed 3 seasons since joining from Newcastle United successful 2022.

He was portion of a Walsall broadside that led League Two for overmuch of the past play but dropped disconnected successful the run-in and ended up losing the play-off final to AFC Wimbledon.

McEntee, who played successful the Scottish Championship with Morton successful 2021-22 during a indebtedness spell from Newcastle, volition articulation the Tynecastle broadside connected a escaped transportation erstwhile his Walsall woody expires this summer.

"It became wide successful our conversations Oisin is hungry, helium wants to larn and improve, and beryllium portion of what we're trying to bash present astatine Hearts," said caller Hearts brag Derek McInnes.

"He's played successful defence and midfield, truthful to person options astir his positioning is simply a large plus. Oisin's gained a batch of acquisition down southbound and helium has cognition of Scottish shot too, which is simply a bonus."

McEntee is McInnes' 3rd signing pursuing the acquisition of Belgian guardant Elton Kabangu and Greek winger Alexandros Kyziridis.

McEntee is among a fig of out-of-contract players astatine Walsall, with the nine successful talks with 9 others to widen their stays aft the disappointing extremity to their season.

The Saddlers are successful discussions with goalkeeper Sam Hornby, defenders Liam Gordon, Harry Williams and Priestley Farquharson, midfielders Ryan Stirk and Ronan Maher and forwards Albert Adomah, Jamille Matt and Douglas James-Taylor.

They person released 4 players - goalkeeper George Barrett, defender Donervon Daniels, midfielder Jack Earing and striker Danny Johnson - but person exercised options to widen the contracts of defenders Rico Browne and Evan Weir.

Another 8 first-team regulars - Connor Barrett, Jamie Jellis, Josh Gordon, Charlie Lakin, Brandon Comley, Levi Amantchi, Taylor Allen and David Okagbue - stay nether declaration astatine the Bescot Stadium.