By Barry Anderson
Copyright scotsman
Hearts today confirmed the departure of Costa Rica international forward Kenneth Vargas on an initial short-term loan. He has returned to formative club CS Herediano in his homeland hoping to revitalise his career after falling out of favour at Tynecastle Park. The loan is designed to give the player much-needed game time whilst showcasing his talent for a possible permanent transfer at a later date. Vargas is initially joining Herediano until January to help them finish the Primera Division campaign in Costa Rica. He knows he needs a permanent transfer in order to play regular first-team football into 2026. Hearts and Herediano officials negotiated the loan over the last few days and the deal was announced by the Heredia province club in a statement late on Tuesday evening. It read: “Club Sport Herediano announces that Kenneth Vargas is returning to the team as a new addition for the 2025 Apertura Tournament. After his time in Scottish football with Heart of Midlothian, Vargas returns to the red and yellow jersey to defend the colors of Herediano. Welcome back home, Kenneth!” Hearts issued a statement on Wednesday morning confirming Vargas has gone. It read: “We can confirm that Kenneth Vargas has returned to Costa Rica to complete a short-term loan move, subject to SFA approval and international clearance. The forward will join CS Herediano until January 2026. Everyone at Hearts wishes Kenneth well during his time in Costa Rica.” Vargas struggled to cement a regular place in the team at Tynecastle after signing a five-year contract last summer. He initially joined Hearts on loan from Herediano in summer 2023 and impressed in his first year in Scotland. Hearts invoked their option to sign him permanently and handed him a five-year contract in 2024. However, his second year in Gorgie was less noteworthy than his first. In total, he has made 84 appearances in maroon and recorded 21 goal contributions. Aged 23, the forward recently scored on international duty with Costa Rica but could not command any game time at club level this season. Hearts signed 11 new players during the summer transfer window and Vargas consequently found himself down the pecking order. He was also beset by a hip injury during pre-season. He agreed to move after accepting that he would not be able to force himself back into head coach Derek McInnes’ plans. Herediano wanted to take him back on loan and made a formal offer to Hearts. Spanish second division side Cueta were also interested but did not manage to finalise a deal before Spain’s transfer window closed. With the Costa Rican window still open, Herediano pushed to bring Vargas home. The return to Herediano is, for now, design to last until January. However, if Vargas impresses he could create opportunities for a permanent move out of the Scottish Capital. Hearts are willing to listen to offers for his services and the player wants to play regularly to ensure he keeps his international place ahead of next summer’s World Cup finals. He may be prepared to rejoin Herediano permanently once the loan ends, but other options could arise between now and the end of the year. Hearts have strong competition in the attacking department with captain Lawrence Shankland, Claudio Braga, James Wilson, Elton Kabangu and Pierre Landry Kabore. READ MORE: Hearts arrange a friendly to fill Premier Sports Cup gap READ MORE: Hearts take a stance on Cammy Devlin’s contract
