Elton Kabangu to Hearts permanent transfer addressed by Neil Critchley as he eyes late window recruitment
Neil Critchley watched Elton Kabangu help rip dire Dundee apart and admitted they would love to keep him at Hearts long-term.
The Jambos registered their biggest away win in the top-flight since 1988 with a ruthless half-dozen at Dens Park. Lawrence Shankland, Blair Spittal, Musa Drammeh, Kenneth Vargas and a Kabangu double did the damage to move the Jambos within five points of fourth-placed Aberdeen. Kabangu has five goals since his loan move from Royale Union Saint Gilloise last month and Critchley would love to see him become a permanent Hearts player.
Critchley said: “We hope so (in terms of keeping Kabangu). We're comfortable with the deal that's in place and Elton is as well so let's see where that gets to moving forward. But obviously at the moment we're happy with the situation and so is he. I can't go into too much detail but what I'd say is we're happy, he's happy and hopefully we see him in a maroon shirt for the foreseeable future and beyond possibly.”
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Hearts are very much one of the form teams in the Premiership. They are unbeaten in their last seven and have won five of them. Their delighted manager admitted: "I say it doesn't happen very often.
“When you look at Dundee's form here and the problems they've given the top two, and then they win the Dundee derby in the Scottish Cup, then we knew this would be a difficult game. I thought we looked a really good team.
"The first few goals were brilliant goals, really top quality goals. You can see the confidence flowing through the team.
“We gave them very little in front of the goal, kept a clean sheet. We were very clinical, particularly on the break in the second half. Things have gone our way.
“It's been a really good day for the players and for the supporters who are here. Whether you win 1-0, 6-0, it's still three points.”
The Jambos’ form has taken them off the bottom and now with a genuine European ambition. Critchley stated: “Honestly, I don't look at the table. I really don't. People tell me the scorelines.
“I just concentrate on trying to win games of football and the league will take care of itself. At some point near the end of the season or closer to the split, I'll probably look at it and need to know what we need to do because of the mathematical permutations.”
Hearts could still do some late business before the close of the window. Their boss confirmed: "I'm not sitting here to say no, we're done because we're not.
"There's always the possibility of players leaving as well. I'm sitting on a fence I suppose."
