Hearts have signed former Stirling Albion striker Dylan Bikey from under the noses of rivals Hibs.
The 21-year-old had been training with the Easter Road side after scoring nine goals in nine games for Stirling Albion.
The striker was on amateur terms at Forthbank, and Neil Lennon ‘s side were favourites to land Bikey ahead of Dundee United .
Tynecastle boss Ian Cathro had revaled on Friday that his side weren’t closer to sealing any new deals before the announcement of Bikey.
He said: “We are continuing to do our work in a number of areas and until we can bring the correct one to a close there is no more news from us.
“We are continuing to work on the things we have already spoken of, the areas we would like to improve. That process is ongoing.”
The 21-year-old started his career with French cracks Nantes, before moving to lower-league side Dieppe in his homeland before signing amateur terms with Dave McKay’s Stirling Albion.