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After long negotiations, Edinburgh's team quickly leased Chilean national team forward Mauricio Pinilla from Lisbon, with the possibility of later purchasing him.
The player has been participating in the trial of the Scottish vice-champions for some time and has left a good impression. "Hearts" hope that this forward will strengthen the team's attacking line, which is expected to lose Rudi Skacel in the near future.
The 22-year-old Chilean arrived at "Sporting" two years ago, but last season he spent on loan in Spain, playing for "Racing Santander". Previously, the player belonged to the Milan "Inter" club and was loaned to Verona's "Chievo" team, and later he was loaned to Vigo's "Celta" team.
"I know that Scottish football is strong, but I don't think there will be any problems in adapting to it," said the forward. "The main goal is to qualify for the Champions League, and I hope to contribute to that."
"Hearts" coach, Lithuanian Valdas Ivanauskas, stated that with hard work, M. Pinilla could become a key player in the starting lineup.
"We have to integrate him into the team and our tactical schemes. Then he will have good chances to play, but he will have to fight for a place in the starting lineup through hard work," the Lithuanian coach said about the new acquisition. "He is a high-level player, but he will have to try hard in training and matches. We have many high-level forwards, but the season is long."
"Last year, we had five forwards, but at the same time, during the winter, only two could play - Callum Elliot and Michal Pospisil," V. Ivanauskas said.
