Exclusive:Hearts set for more signings as transfer business continues at Tynecastle
Tynecastle club are not finished in the summer window
Hearts are preparing for more transfer business before the summer window closes as Wouter Vrancken seeks to strengthen his first-team squad. Tynecastle officials are working on various options as they look to sign a new striker, and there will also be departures before the end of the month.
Greek international winger Alexandros Kyziridis is leaving Edinburgh this week to complete a £1.7m transfer to Turkey. He joined Hearts for free last summer and the club are now making a huge profit on the 25-year-old. There is also strong interest in Portuguese striker Claudio Braga with French side Lyon, English club Ipswich Town and Turkish side Trabzonspor among his suitors. Hearts want between £8m and £10m to sell.
A new forward is on the agenda to provide greater goal threat through the middle. Hearts signed striker Amadou Ba-Sy from French third tier side Rouen in June and he is still adjusting to Scottish football. The Edinburgh News revealed earlier this month that Belgian attacker Elton Kabangu is heading for the Tynecastle exit door. Teenager James Wilson is also keen to play more regularly, and it remains to be seen if he will need to leave on loan in order to do so.
Hearts hope a new striker can increase competition and add more goals to the team. Vrancken was asked if he is keen to bring in a player in the No.9 position before the transfer window closes. “Yeah, we'll see. We'll see what happens,” he replied. “I think, like you see with Alex now, everything can happen in the transfer window. We always have to be ready. As a club, we have to always be ready when something happens. So, we need something that we can act fast. Other people in the club are responsible, but also busy with those things. So, yeah, just the communication is really good. So, yeah, we'll see.
“We have Amadou. He is still not fully adapted to Scottish football, maybe, so he has to make some steps there. It's on him and it's us to try to guide him in this. It's someone's ability to put everything in it, all the minutes he gets on the pitch there. We will see how he makes his steps. Like I said, we have to be ready as a club when it's needed.”
Vrancken watched Hearts score some superb goals in Sunday’s comprehensive 4-0 win over Dundee United at Tynecastle. It was the manager’s first victory since taking charge as midfielder Tom Renaud and wingers Calvin Miller and Josh McPake scored alongside Braga. “We could score more when we're really clinical, but again, I’m happy to see the goals. Also, four different goalscorers, so it's nice for the players,” commented Vrancken.
“We scored the goals to take this confidence with them. They were really great goals in how we played it, how we played them. I’m happy to see this. It has to give everybody confidence in this area. Like we said before, we were pretty okay between the boxes, but not so clinical in both. We were more clinical today in both boxes so I’m happy to see that. Hopefully it gives extra conviction for the next games.”
Hearts’ next fixture is Thursday’s Europa League third qualifying round return leg against Benfica at Tynecastle. They are already 6-1 down from the first leg and, realistically, are set to drop into the Conference League play-off round later this month.