Liverpool Are Alerted to Loan Star Hanlon's Exciting Potential

Liverpool are to send scouts to watch St Johnstone's 18-year-old left-back Paul Hanlon in the next 10 days. Hanlon, who turns 19 next week and joined the Scottish First Division club on a one-month loan from Hibernian at the beginning of January, returned his latest impressive performance in Tuesday night's Scottish Cup defeat by Rangers.

A former Scotland Under-19 captain, Hanlon made his Hibs debut a year ago, was afforded regular first-team action and promptly signed a five-year contract at Easter Road. He had been a more peripheral figure in this campaign, though, before his short-term move to Perth.

Liverpool have been made aware of Hanlon's talent and are expected to send representation to St Johnstone's match at Partick Thistle on Saturday or their meeting with Dunfermline Athletic a week later. If a bid is forthcoming, Hanlon would become the latest in a long line of players who have made significant transfer moves after coming through Hibs' youth ranks in the last decade.

Nottingham Forest, meanwhile, are poised to test Hearts' financial resolve with a bid for their Icelandic utility player Eggert Jonsson. Forest's new manager, Billy Davies, personally watched Jonsson in Sunday's Edinburgh derby victory over Hibs.

Jonsson, part of his country's international squad, has been at Hearts for three years and has a long-term contract at Tynecastle but the club are certain to offload players this month.