Heart of Midlothian have been granted a Governing Body Exemption for Andres Salazar.

The club put forward their case to the Scottish FA panel for the signing of the Colombian left-back on Thursday. That has now been accepted allowing Hearts to move onto the next stage of the signing process.

Salazar is viewed as a coup for the club. The 21-year-old won his first cap for the Colombian national team last year and arrives from Atletico Nacional, one of the biggest clubs in the country.

His talent saw him tracked by clubs across Europe. Hearts were unsure there would be an opportunity to bring him to the club but the player's situation changed and presented them with the chance to bring him to Gorgie.

Steven Naismith revealed the club hope to confirm the signing next week with both clubs in agreement over a loan deal which is understood to include an option to make the move permanent.

Hearts have until a week on Friday to sign him prior to the submission of their squad list for the Europa League play-off round.

"Both clubs are there," he said. "Everybody is on the same page of what we want. Now we just need to do the paperwork, the issues with visas and work permits.

"I don't expect anything to happen until next week, confirming it. Every very day there are things going on in the background to get that done."

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What is the Governing Body Endorsement (GBE)

"A club must obtain a GBE from The Scottish FA before a migrant is permitted to undertake any employment duties for the club (including participation at training and in friendly matches)," read the SFA document on GBE criteria. "A migrant can register for a club without a GBE but, in order to play any football, he must have obtained a GBE."

This was a tweak following Brexit. It means any international player arriving in the country needs to pass through the GBE before obtaining a visa to essentially work in the country. It works for both loan players and those signed permanently.