Hearts keen to seal new Birmingham City agreement for 'absolute godsend' | OneFootball

Marc Leonard's performances at Tynecastle have caught the eye of many

Birmingham City's ambition has meant that plenty of change has occurred at St. Andrew's @ Knighthead Park in such a short period of time, and the playing squad at Chris Davies' disposal is no exception to this particular rule.

Under the ownership of Knighthead Capital Management, Blues are looking to regain their Premier League status for the first time since 2011 as soon as possible after many previous years of decline and stagnation.

It is almost three years since Tom Wagner completed his initial takeover of the West Midlands outfit, and, on and off the pitch, Birmingham are certainly in the strongest position they have been for some time. But, that isn't to say that the current Championship campaign hasn't been without its problems.

Blues were fancied, by many, to mount a sustained bid for the play-off places after romping to the League One title in Davies' first season at the club, and in full-time management as a whole.

The 40-year-old has been heavily backed in both transfer windows this season, and that included the arrival of six new faces in the winter window, whilst several fringe players were allowed to leave permanently or temporarily in search of much-needed regular minutes.

With Birmingham now eight points behind Wrexham in sixth with 11 matches of the campaign still to play after a 3-1 defeat to Middlesbrough on Monday night, some supporters have already turned their focus as to what must happen in the off-season for the club to become a stronger force in the promotion shake-up.

And, in a fresh set of developments, it appears as though one player who has endured a frustrating spell since his arrival two years ago, could be set for a permanent exit.

Hearts express interest in permanent Birmingham City, Marc Leonard transfer deal amid 'godsend' claim

One of the several figures allowed to depart in early 2026 was Scottish midfielder, Marc Leonard, who initially joined from Brighton and Hove Albion on a four-year contract for a reported £500,000 in July 2024.

Despite catching the eye in two prior loan spells with Northampton Town, the 24-year-old has failed to pin down a starting berth at St. Andrew's, mainly due to the impact made by Paik Seung-ho, Tomoki Iwata and Tommy Doyle over time.

Although he has made 64 Blues appearances to-date, only 35 of those have come in the starting lineup, and a lack of minutes in the first half of this season saw interest rife in his services.

Leonard would eventually return to former club and Scottish Premiership leaders, Hearts, after also being the subject of interest from Sheffield United and Norwich City.

Since his return to Tynecastle Park, Leonard has started in each of the Jambos' seven league outings, providing an assist for Stuart Findlay on debut versus Celtic, whilst also netting in the 4-2 defeat against Rangers at Ibrox on February 15th.

As such, it has been reported by the Edinburgh Evening News that Hearts are keen on striking a permanent deal with Blues for Leonard, although the publication claim that his wage demands could prove a sticking point despite the potential attraction of European football.

Hearts boss, Derek McInnes, has also claimed the midfield ace is a 'godsend' due to his immediate impact after replacing the injured Cammy Devlin.

“We've been without Cammy for a while, plus Beni (Baningime) as well through suspension and injuries, but Marc Leonard has been an absolute Godsend. I couldn't be more pleased with the signing,” he said.

“He is totally different to Cammy but both of them are a big influence on the team. Marc and Cammy are good players in their own right. Losing Cammy was always going to be tough to deal with. Although he and Marc are different, both of them have had a big influence on the games.

“People might see Marc Leonard as being in the same breath as Cammy because he has stepped into the team in his position. We might not have gone down that route if Cammy hadn't got injured. I'm delighted with Marc, he's been first-class. He's been as good as we could have hoped, getting to the pace of the game, he's brought a lot to the dressing room, he's a good boy who is hungry to get success while he's here," added McInnes.

Marc Leonard's estimated Birmingham City salary amid permanent Hearts transfer claim

It is clear how much Leonard has brought to Hearts in such a short period, and whilst his stock is high at Tynecastle, it's no surprise the club are exploring the potential of a permanent transfer.

Whilst it remains unclear what fee Blues would command given what they parted with two years ago, it is also up in the air as to whether his current loan employers could overcome the stumbling block provided by wages.

According to Capology, Leonard's Blues contract sees him earn an ESTIMATED weekly salary of £6,500 per week.

Whilst this is still one of the lowest figures at St. Andrew's, it would immediately put him towards the top of Hearts' payroll, with Salary Sport claiming that the Edinburgh side's top earners are Eduardo Ageu and Lawrence Shankland, who are tied at the £7,500 per week figure.