Hearts land highly-rated defender MJ Kamson-Kamara in free transfer

The 20-year-old defender arrives from English League One champions Lincoln City on a deal until 2030 as Derek McInnes reshapes for a Champions League qualifying campaign

Hearts have confirmed the pre-contract signing of MJ Kamson-Kamara, seeing off competition from Glentoran, where the defender was on loan at this season.

The 20-year-old centre-back, who came through the Bromley academy before signing his first professional contract with Lincoln City in 2023, will join the Jambos on July 1st on a deal running until 2030. The move, subject to SFA approval, ends a transfer chase after Hearts, backed by Tony Bloom’s Jamestown Analytics, identified Kamson-Kamara as a target after his loan spell in Northern Ireland.

Across 31 appearances for the Glens, the defender contributed five goals and helped the club to a second-place finish in the NIFL Premiership - just four points behind champions Larne - while also reaching the Irish League Cup Final, where they narrowly lost 1-0 to Linfield after extra time.

Kamson-Kamara arrives as a long-term investment with a contract running to 2030, giving the Edinburgh side a young centre-back to develop over the next few years.

He will link up with his new teammates for pre-season, ahead of the 2026/27 season with Champions League qualifying on the horizon.