Robert Snodgrass’ form dropped off a cliff before he was subsequently told he had no future at the club, Cammy Devlin also struggled in the early part of 2023, Peter Haring and Beni Baningime were long-term injury absences, while Jorge Grant and Orestis Kiomourtzoglou are yet to justify the six-figure fees it cost to bring them to Tynecastle.
Things have somewhat improved with Haring returning to the side as he and Devlin put in excellent showings in the recent 6-1 win over Ross County, but it’s definitely an area which will need some attention in the summer.
With it looking increasingly likely that Hearts won’t get the £5 million windfall from reaching the Europa League group stages, they may have to go back to shopping almost exclusively in the free agent market.
Here are nine talents they could pick up there...
With it looking increasingly likely that Hearts won’t get the £5 million windfall from reaching the Europa League group stages, they may have to go back to shopping almost exclusively in the free agent market.
9. Aiden O'Neill (Melbourne City)
Hey, why not another Aussie? The 24-year-old former Burnley youth product excels in both winning back possession and creating for team-mates. Photo: Darrian Traynor