Malachi Fagan-walcott Deal Hits £1,000,000 as Hearts Agree Fourth Bid

Malachi Fagan-Walcott is set to leave York City after Hearts had a fourth bid accepted, with the deal worth £1,000,000 plus add-ons. The move would break York City’s transfer record and push the defender into a higher-profile stage after a title-winning season in England’s National League.

Hearts’ fourth bid lands

The accepted offer is the latest turn in a pursuit that had already seen Hearts go back to York more than once. Their fourth bid has now landed at £1,000,000 plus add-ons, and that is the number that changes the story for both clubs.

For York, the fee clears a benchmark that has stood since 1999. Richard Cresswell’s move to Sheffield Wednesday brought in £950,000, so this sale would move the mark above that figure by £50,000 before any add-ons are counted.

York City’s record sale

Fagan-Walcott’s rise at York gives the deal more weight than a simple cash move. He signed from Cardiff City on a season-long loan in September 2024, and that move was made permanent on Christmas Eve 2024.

Since then, he has made 78 appearances in all competitions for York City, scoring 14 goals and providing 8 assists. Those numbers are unusual for a defender and help explain why his value has climbed so quickly.

His 2025/26 campaign was especially busy. He made 36 appearances as York City won the 2025/26 National League title, clinching the championship with a needed point at Rochdale on the final day.

Fagan-Walcott’s York output

There were also decisive moments inside that run. He scored a late goal in a 2-1 win over FC Halifax Town in the 2024/25 campaign and later scored a last-minute header against Altrincham in April.

That production helped put him on the radar beyond York, with reports also saying Oxford United had shown interest. Hearts, who finished second and will provide UEFA Champions League football next season, are the club now taking him on after the accepted bid.

The move would make Hearts the third club Fagan-Walcott has played for in the Scottish ladder, after spells with Tottenham Hotspur, Dundee, Cardiff and Dunfermline Athletic in his career path. For York, the transfer is about setting a new market ceiling; for Hearts, it is about landing a defender whose output at 78 appearances, 14 goals and 8 assists has already outgrown the level where York first signed him.