Conor Shaughnessy is on loan at Scottish Premiership outfit Hearts from Marcelo Bielsa’s Championship title chasers Leeds United.
Hearts manager Craig Levein is expecting Conor Shaughnessy to return to Leeds United when his loan spell comes to an end and is already scouring the market for a potential replacement, as reported by the Scottish Sun.
The Republic of Ireland U21 international moved to Tynecastle on a short-term deal in the January transfer window once Jimmy Dunne had left for Sunderland and he has made six Scottish Premiership appearances so far.
Shaughnessy has returned to the team recently after a brief spell out of the starting XI, even grabbing an assist in a 2-1 win over Aberdeen, and Levein is under no illusions about the fact that he has a task on his hands finding a successor.
The former Scotland boss admits that Shaughnessy will be on his way back to Elland Road, seemingly confirming that Hearts have no chance of or no intention to keep the 22-year-old beyond this summer.
“We will lose Conor Shaughnessy, who is going back to Leeds, in the summer so obviously we needed another centre-back,” Levein said.
“Craig Halkett has not been signed in any way as a replacement for John Souttar. I hope John’s still with us for another couple of years.”
Shaughnessy made 14 appearances in all competitions for Leeds in 2017/18 but played just once after Marcelo Bielsa took over at Elland Road. And the fact that the Argentine decided to farm him out rather than give him a chance doesn’t bode well for his future in West Yorkshire.
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