Lyon have shown transfer interest in Claudio Braga, and Hearts have put a price on the striker of between £8 million and £10 million. The club will not sell him for less than £8 million, a figure that would turn a six-figure signing from last summer into one of their biggest departures.
Claudio Braga at Tynecastle Park
Braga arrived from Aalesunds last summer on a six-figure deal and delivered straight away. He scored 14 goals in 44 appearances in his debut season at Tynecastle Park, then added the PFA Scotland Player of the Year award and the Scottish Football Writers' Association Player of the Year award.
That output is why Hearts are treating the summer market firmly. A forward signed for around £400,000 just 12 months ago is now being priced at up to £10 million, and any bid that lands near the top of that range would be difficult to ignore.
Lyon and Ligue 1 interest
Lyon finished fourth in Ligue 1 last season and have the profile to test Hearts quickly if they decide Braga is a target worth pursuing. They also brought in nearly €30 million by selling Afonso Moreira to Bayer Leverkusen, so the club has already shown it can move money in the market.
For Hearts, the contrast is obvious. Craig Gordon remains the club’s record sale at £9 million to Sunderland, and a deal for Braga at the reported valuation could move beyond that mark. With Lawrence Shankland already at Rangers, Michael Steinwender on the verge of a move to the German second tier, Cammy Devlin out of contract this summer, and Frankie Kent, Alan Forrest, Beni Baningime and Lewis Neilson all gone, Hearts are already reshaping the squad.
Hearts and the summer queue
Hearts have already completed five signings this summer and have two more on the way in Sabri Guendouz and Tom Renaud. That means the club is not waiting for a sale before acting, but Braga still sits at the centre of the most valuable decision on their books.
Whether Lyon will make an official bid for Claudio Braga is the next test. If they do, Hearts have already drawn the line: £8 million is the floor, and the ceiling sits at £10 million for a striker who answered with 14 goals, 44 appearances and two major player-of-the-year awards in his first season.
