Michael Stewart has once again launched an offensive on the Hearts decision-makers over the Jamie McCart deal.
Hearts signed defender McCart on a permanent deal from Rotherham after initially negotiating a pre-contract arrangement.
McCart is 27 and signed a four-and-a-half year contract with the Jambos which guarantees his stay at Tynecastle until he’s 31.
But Premier Sports pundit Stewart has a massive concern over this and can’t fathom why Hearts sanctioned a four-and-a-half year deal for McCart.
He said the decision to do so is ‘mind-boggling’ and claimed the deal is indicative of agents dictating the contract negotiations.
Stewart then namechecked sporting director Graeme Jones and questioned his experience in terms of negotiating contracts, if indeed Jones was central to the McCart talks.
Michael Stewart blasts Hearts for McCart contract length
Speaking on The Scottish Football Social Club podcast, Stewart said: “I’ve got a serious concern once again about the administrative level at Hearts. A four-and-a-half year deal just baffles me.
“If you think about it, he’s 27 now and he’s been down south for a number of years, who hands out a four-and-a-half year deal at that stage of your career?
“You do that for younger players because your are protecting your asset. At that stage, you don’t hand out a four-and-a-half year deal. It is mind-boggling!
“Whether he is good or a dud at Hearts, you don’t hand out a four-and-a-half year deal. And my concern is who is negotiating contracts now?
“Because that to me smacks of agents being able to dictate what’s going on and that is a concern.
Host Darrell Currie then asked who is leading contract negotiations at Hearts and floated whether it is sporting director Graeme Jones, who was appointed in September.
Stewart then replied: “Well if it is, what experience does Graeme Jones got in negotiating a contract? I would imagine zero.”
Alan Hutton says McCart contract should be 3 years
Alan Hutton then added to the conversation and said a three-year deal for McCart would have been more acceptable than four-and-a-half years.
The pundit said: “See when you get to 30, there’s no sell-on value. You can’t make that money back because he’s aged.
“What you would do then is give him three years which is acceptable at 27 and then you reassess it then moving forward.”