Hearts transfer update on Claudio Braga, management reveal plan for ins and outs, players back for Hibs derby

Hearts expect Portuguese striker Claudio Braga to stay at Tynecastle Park beyond Thursday’s transfer deadline. The Scottish window closes at 5pm and there is no transfer in the pipeline for Braga. Hearts head coach Wouter Vrancken will name the player in his European squad before tonight’s UEFA Conference League deadline. He stressed today that the club cannot realistically contemplate selling Braga after that point.

Clubs in Turkey, France and England are among those interested in Braga. Some made contact with Hearts over the summer hoping to negotiate a transfer. Tynecastle officials wanted £8m to £10m to sell, but Braga was also wary of being sold to a club that might not take his career in the direction he wants. It now looks increasingly likely that he will remain in Edinburgh until at least January. Transfer windows in Greece, Turkey, Serbia, Slovakia, Switzerland and Czechia don’t close until after Scotland’s, but Vrancken is confident Braga will stay with Hearts.

“Pretty confident, but you'll never know in a window, of course,” the Belgian stated today. “As long as the window is open, everything can happen. I saw it too many times already in the past. Betting on it, I would bet that he stays with us. I’m always careful with those things. I think once the European list is filled in and is sent to UEFA [before 10:59pm UK time tonight], then it's not possible. Otherwise you lose a spot on your list. The moment this is finished, for me, it's not possible to let somebody go.”

Hearts welcome back defender Harry Milne from injury for Thursday’s Edinburgh derby against Hibs. Stephen Kingsley and Eduardo Ageu have returned to training. One or two of those could be included in the European squad. “I'd say the list is 95 per cent decided,” confirmed Vrancken. “It's good that some guys come back. Harry is in the squad tomorrow. Kings did a session with us today. Mal [Fagan-Walcott] is normally coming back. Finlay Pollock is also normally coming back. Eddy is training full with the squad, so it's nice to have them back.

“We have already listed the potential players who are available for the UEFA list. Position-wise, we are backed up. Now it's a list until January. We have to see that we have fit players in every position. Now it's also sometimes really thin, some positions there. We have to consider everything and then make decisions. Look who is still a risk or not so much a risk. Maybe we will consider some guys making the development in domestic games instead of putting them in all games.”

Hearts cannot name a full 25-man squad because they have only one fit “club-trained” player instead of the required four. “We have only 22 players to put on the list,” added Vrancken. “James Wilson is always on the list because he is homegrown. Then we have 21 with the goalkeepers in it. We have to make decisions there. Homegrown players, we still have some spots. We don't lose any spots. This is not a problem. It's only the 21 other ones. That's where we have to make decisions.”

Hearts will sign Faroese winger Aron Benjaminsen and Swiss midfielder Leart Kabashi before the transfer window shuts. As things stand, there are no plans to bring in any more players. That will only change if someone becomes available who can enhance the squad. One or two peripheral figures may depart Tynecastle. “I focus on the guys who have signed already. I think the club is always looking for opportunities,” said Vrancken. “We have the economical situation that we cannot throw big amounts. I think it's good. The club is already busy for a long time.

“We brought some good players in. You see also with some players that they need adaptation - not only on the level but also on the style of play maybe. Also on the style of Scottish football because you have to adapt on this. I hope that some guys can make steps in the adaptation there and improve their game as long as we go.

“As a club you have to always be ready. I think everybody knows within the club where we need somebody if it's possible - and if the economical situation lets it. Because it's not bringing anything when you take another player in who is the same level as the guys you already have. When you do something with the squad, it has to be for extra quality when you want to have a direct impact. I'm only sure of it when the window is really closed, and you are also ready when somebody could leave.”

Irish midfielder Oisin McEntee will continue at centre-back for Hearts for now as the aforementioned Fagan-Walcott works to return from injury. “I don't want to keep him in one spot. I think he can do really good in both,” explained Vrancken. “In midfield, you can use his physicality and also he's good on the ball. He has a lot of things there, but he brings us a lot now as a centre-back. He performs well. It depends on who is coming back, who has the level, who can be competitive for these positions.

“There are a lot of games to come. We will need more than one player in a position so it's good that they can do both. But it's also good that the competition for those positions also is coming back, like Kings and Mal. Kings did a full session with us today so it was nice to see him back on the pitch. Malachi, we expect somewhere in the next week or so. But like I said, we have to go step by step when you're a long time out. So the prognosis is next week.”