Hearts plan to announce SIX signings as Steven Naismith breaks silence on pre-contracts

Hearts hope to announce SIX signings in the coming weeks as Steven Naismith looks to press on.

The Jambos have already secured four players - Blair Spittal (Motherwell), Yan Dhanda (Ross County), James Penrice (Livingston) and goalkeeper Ryan Fulton (Hamilton) - on pre-contracts which are yet to be officially confirmed by the club. Naismith is targeting at least another two with a right-back his priority.

Until this point, the Tynecastle boss was yet to speak on any of the incoming players. But he has now addressed for the first time a bit of the thinking behind targeting them and what they will bring to the team. Hearts have scoured the globe for signings like Costa Rican Kenneth Vargas and Australian Calem Nieuwenhof but will also look closer to home.

The 37-year-old told the Edinburgh Evening News: "Getting players who play in Scotland helps minimise the risk because they understand what they are coming to. There is an expectation that we might see more of them quicker than anybody else who comes in. Yan and Blair are different to what we currently have, I think. What they bring is good experience. It’s important to get players in and I think you are crazy if you don’t look closer to home because it takes an element of risk out of it.

“Why would you not look in the Scottish market? Every year, players progress and have good seasons. If it’s the right fit for us, then why not? I think the players have brought in are good ones. That doesn’t mean that in a year’s time we will sign more players from the Scottish league. There are so many aspects which need to align before you sign a player.

“I think we will always look at the Scottish market. Whether it’s guys in the Premiership or Championship, there is good talent there. It’s about finding the ones who fit what we are about - positionally and characters. I don’t think there has been a shift in what we are doing because we will still look everywhere we can. Look at the success we have had over the last year with some of our signings."

Quizzed on other plans beyond that four, he added: "We are in the market for a couple of positions. These things are moving on. I have got an expectation that, by the time we come back, there will be a couple in and done. Six is roughly the number we are looking at. Beyond that, if somebody leaves the group who we feel needs replaced then we will do that. It’s not going to be that we will sign many others given where we are sitting with the squad at the moment. We are comfortable with it.

“We have done a lot of work since January to identify players and try to get the deals done to get them in the building. That’s where we are. We have potentially got to the point where we are making signings and there is not that pressure of having to come in and hit the ground running. Some inevitably will come in and do that and perform well through pre-season, but there isn’t an expectation there in a lot of areas we have signed. That gives them a bit of comfort where they don’t need to feel: ‘I’m going to miss my opportunity.'"