Newcastle United 'set to confirm' loan departure

The forward visited the Scottish Premiership club last week to meet manager Robbie Neilson and view the club’s facilities, and The Scotsman report that the presence of three of his Australia team-mates in the team’s ranks – Kye Rowles, Nathaniel Atkinson and Cammy Devlin – “helped convince Kuol that a move to Hearts is the best option for him right now”.

Kuol joined Newcastle from A-League club Central Coast Mariners this month after going to the World Cup with Australia, and head coach Eddie Howe spoke about the 18-year-old’s next move last week.

"Our plan is still to loan him out,” said Howe. “We’re identifying clubs, and trying to find the right club for him, somewhere where we feel he’ll play and be given an opportunity to develop his game.

"He’s got a great attitude, a real smile that hits you when you meet him. He’s a really bright lad. Hopefully he’ll get a good loan.

A loan to a club on the continent had been mooted late last year, but Howe hinted that Kuol needed to “learn a lot about British football” when asked about the importance of his next move.

“Players go on loan for lots of different reasons, and his would be to gain experience, to learn a lot about British football,” said Howe.

"We really like him, and we want him to find a home where coaches will develop him and improve him. He’s still young, so naturally he’s got areas of his game that need work. But that experience, hopefully, will benefit for us in the long-term."