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Hearts owner Ann Budge believes Manchester City’s interest in youngster Aaron Hickey is a sign that the club is on the right track, and hopes for a long-term relationship with the English champions.

City have reportedly had Hickey on their radar since last season’s Scottish Cup final and could be ready to make a £1.5m move in January for the 17-year-old, who would then potentially remain with hearts for the rest of the season.

Since restructuring the academy five years ago thanks to Budge’s investment and Craig Levein’s expertise, the Jambos are now starting to see the benefits with talent like Hickey, Harry Cochrane and Connor Smith beginning to emerge.

Their links with City will see a player come the other way as well. Japanese midfielder Ryotaro Meshino is expected to be confirmed on a season-long loan deal before the weekend.

“So many things in football are changing at the minute, including how you go about recruiting,” said Budge.

“We have been working hard to make that work and it is terrific when someone like that comes in and says: ‘I really like that young player’.

“So hopefully we will see that again and we do want more of that. I think it’s part of our recruitment strategy, for want of a better word, to try to make these links.

“With Meshino, the fact Manchester City have agreed to this deal is a reflection of the training facilities we have and the way we look after the players.

"So these are things we obviously try to promote. It can be beneficial for both clubs and the player, so it’s something we work hard on.

“I think when you try to grow any kind of business, you have to put a lot of effort into partnerships, whether it’s a supplier, a customer or whatever.

“And if you choose the right ones they can be very beneficial.”

Meshino is likely to be unveiled later this week with media from his home country in attendance, with Hearts planning to launch a Japanese version of their website as they seek to take advantage of a new market opening up to them.

Budge added: “The fans there tend to support individual players, so we hope there will be an elevation in terms of the recognition of Hearts as well.

"I have watched a lot of videos and they have all told me he is a really exciting player - but then we have all watched lots of videos!"

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