Leart Kabashi
Leart Kabashi (born 29 November 2007) is a Swiss professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Scottish Premiership club Heart of Midlothian. He previously played for Grasshopper and has represented Switzerland at youth international level.
Club career
Grasshopper
Kabashi joined the Grasshopper academy in 2016. He signed a contract extension in December 2024, with the new deal running until 2028.
During the 2024–25 season, he scored 13 goals across Grasshopper's under-19 and under-21 teams.
His first-team debut came against Lausanne-Sport in February 2025. Kabashi scored for the first time at senior level on 14 May, coming off the bench against Yverdon-Sport in a 5–0 win. It was his second appearance in the Swiss Super League. He was the youngest goalscorer in the Swiss Super League that season.
He made five Swiss Super League appearances for Grasshopper, scoring once, and also appeared as a substitute in the first leg of the 2025 relegation play-off against Aarau. He left the club in September 2026.
Heart of Midlothian
Kabashi signed for Heart of Midlothian on 3 September 2026, on a four-year contract, for an undisclosed fee. The Edinburgh Evening News had earlier reported that Hearts were paying a six-figure fee. It also reported that the club did not expect Kabashi to become a regular first-team player immediately.
Style of play
Kabashi has generally played as a number 10, but has also been used in wider positions. When Hearts were pursuing him in August 2026, the Hearts Standard reported that the club saw central attacking midfield as his strongest position and highlighted his creativity and shooting from distance.
Writing after the transfer, Craig Cairns of the Hearts Standard picked out Kabashi's passing and close control, along with his tendency to carry the ball forward and create chances. Cairns also suggested that the physical side of his game still needed development.
International career
Kabashi played five times for Switzerland U16, scoring once. He later made 12 appearances for the under-17s, scoring twice, and another 10 appearances with two goals at under-18 level. By September 2026, he had also appeared five times for the under-19s.