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James Wilson has scored eight goals in 45 appearances for Hearts Heart of Midlothian manager Derek Mc Innes believes James Wilson has made a mistake by joining Tottenham Hotspur on loan in a deal that could be made permanent at the end of the season. Arsenal were in talks with the Scottish Premiership leaders over a move for the 18-year-old but the Scotland striker joined Spurs instead. Wilson, who became the youngest man to represent Scotland when he came on in their Nations League play-off tie against Greece last March, will play for Spurs' Under-21s side. He has scored eight goals in 45 appearances since making his Hearts breakthrough last season but he has struggled for game time this term. "James wanted to go, so you don't want to keep a player who then becomes unhappy, " said Mc Innes. "I couldn't guarantee him minutes, such is the way it's been. I told him and his agent that our preference was to stay, fight for his place, be part of something. "We'd get him a loan in Scotland if need be, to top his minutes up, and we can maybe recall him - still get the best of both worlds. Spurs and Arsenal sign Scottish youngsters 'Playing with fire' catches up with 10-man Hearts - Mc Innes Premiership leaders Hearts slip to defeat at St Mirren "But his head was turned with the Tottenham thing. First it was Arsenal, then Arsenal went quiet, and then all of a sudden Tottenham came to the table. "I don't think it's the right move for him. Ultimately, it's academy football and I think he's better than that. But it was something James wanted to do. "I hope it goes well for him because he's a great kid. We'll see how it plays out. I just need to concentrate on the players who are here and who want to be here and play their part. " Hearts are top of the Premiership table but captain Lawrence Shankland's injury and Wilson's exit leaves Mc Innes with Pierre Landry Kabore and Elton Kabangu as his main strikers. Visit our Hearts page for all the latest news, analysis and fan views Get Hearts news notifications in the BBC Sport app The F1, football and NFL figures who kept Epstein links after conviction A 'special' snooker player who became a TV star - John Virgo obituary Is Guardiola right about Man City's lower net spend? A Welsh town finds itself in the middle of a drug smuggling ring One of the biggest scandals in the history of ice-skating A socially awkward man falls into the world of 'peak male excellence' Reece Parkinson discusses the reality of running with a chronic illness 'Aberdeen savour the most perfect game ever played' How Mc Tominay became a Napoli icon after Man Utd exit Scotland men's internationals to be shown live on BBC Commonwealth Games: Why is it so special to be part of Team Scotland? From titles to tinpottery - rank Scotland's top 10 clubs A 'special' snooker player who became a TV star - John Virgo obituary Who won the WSL transfer window? Rate each club's deals Is the evil empire back? How the Patriots rebuilt a broken dynasty 'Years in the making' - are Arsenal ready to shed 'nearly-men' tag? What impact might 'unprecedented' Six Nations schedule have? 'Don't be afraid of being different, it's your superpower' In Pictures: Sporting photos of the week Is the Australian Open still the 'Happy Slam'? Just seven signings - the Premier League's quiet deadline day 'Strong and smart' - Liverpool's £60m man, who can 'become like Van Dijk' Curling starts on Wednesday - two days before opening ceremony All the done deals on deadline day in one place Will Seahawks stop Patriots' record bid? Lowdown on Super Bowl 2026 Six Nations preview & BBC pundit predictions 'Complacent and lost control' - Man City's second-half problem Happy tennis, serious name - how history-maker Alcaraz clinched career Slam What's gone wrong for Chelsea in WSL and is Bompastor still right coach? Why 2026 could be GB's most successful Winter Olympics The most powerful woman in football - meet game's first female super agent Nine siblings and a dog called Zoomer - Wirtz in his own words Copyright © 2026 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.