Kazakhstan winger’s move to Edinburgh is almost done

Islam Chesnokov is still awaiting a UK visa to join Hearts and begin the next phase of his career in Scotland. Tynecastle officials are hopeful his paperwork will arrive next week to enable the Kazakhstan international winger to fly to Edinburgh and begin training with his new team-mates at Riccarton.

Plans were made for Chesnokov to travel to the Scottish capital over this coming weekend but those have now been put back until next week, pending the relevant immigration documents. The 26-year-old has signed a pre-contract agreement with Hearts and the Scottish Football Association have already approved his move with a Governing Body Endorsement.

The Hearts head coach Derek McInnes explained that the visa is just the final piece required to finalise the transfer. However, it won’t happen this week. “Not this week. We're still going through the whole visa process,” he said today. “It's still good communication and good conversations between [sporting director] Graeme Jones and Will [Lancefield, head of recruitment] really over the last few days. We're trying to make sure we get everything in place before the holiday season and sometimes they obviously shut down. But the plan is still to get him into the country and settle in the next week or so.”

Chesnokov will start training with Hearts as soon as he arrives and will register with the Scottish FA as soon as the January transfer window opens. “If he's allowed to train and allowed to be in the country, of course, we'll look to get him across,” added McInnes. “He's had a long season, including international breaks with his country. I think that mental and physical shutdown is good for him. He's not going away on vacation or anything, he's staying at home, but we can pick up his work quite quickly. We would like to get him integrated in the squad.”

The Hearts chief executive Andrew McKinlay confirmed last week that the club plan to sign another right-back in January. McInnes remained coy on that topic. “I'm really pleased with what we've got at the club,” he said. “We're top of the league for a reason because we've got a good squad and I feel as though we've got a lot of the answers in the building. So I'm not going to be specific about what we actually need for January.

“Like every club, you always want to come out of a window a bit stronger than you went into it. Whether that's on a financial footing or certainly on strength of squad, or maybe you get something a bit different. We've got three different options playing at right-back at the moment [Christian Borchgrevink, Oisin McEntee and Michael Steinwender]. We've also got young Adam [Forrester] who has been playing right-back on loan at St Johnstone that we could call on as well. We're just trying to be specific at looking at one or two different things. I thought Michael Steindewnder was outstanding against an out-and-out winger on Sunday against Celtic.

“We wouldn't like to comment too much on that but we are looking to try and maybe bring in one or two in the window like every manager. Sometimes when your results aren't there, you're a bit busier in January. January is a window where it's traditionally tough to get improvements. We're top of the league, we've got a squad, we've still got one or two to come back. So we won't be as busy as maybe some people think in January, but we are looking to maybe be quite specific on one or two.”

Conversations will continue with some players whose contracts are due to expire at the end of the season. Midfielder Cammy Devlin is still in talks with Hearts officials. Others with deals in their final few months are defenders Craig Halkett, Frankie Kent and Lewis Neilson, goalkeepers Craig Gordon and Harry Stone, plus midfielder Beni Baningime and winger Alan Forrest.

“A lot of these things are ongoing. There's been a lot of conversations had over the last few months. You wouldn't be surprised at that,” said McInnes. “There's constant dialogue with certain players and their agents and their representatives. We're just trying to make some headway with a few things. Hopefully, in due course, we can arrive at the decision we would like as a club. If we can, then obviously we'd be delighted to get that announced. A lot of this stuff is going on in the background. I'm confident we'll get some good news on one or two, but there's nothing certain at the moment.”

Hearts’ relationship with Jamestown Analytics means players are rated based on a whole range of different attributes, and only those with a sufficiently acceptable scoring will be offered new deals. It is a similar process when Hearts look to identify transfer targets for any position.

“When I came in, I always get the final say if we sign a player or not - if we make a contract offer. Obviously, it’s well-documented that players have got ratings. I can't just pick a player and say, ‘I want to sign him,’ if it doesn't marry up with the Jamestown ratings. So we're trying to bring a level of player into the club every window if we can. We'd marry up with everybody's thoughts about improvements and those players have to have a certain rating. Even talking specifically about certain players at the club, I can only stress to them how keen we are to continue working together and how important that is.

“Players are quite within their rights to be patient with that and I'm really respectful of that. There was maybe a time when I was a younger manager where you would start jumping up and down and start falling out with people. You'd maybe take it quite personally and be hurt by the fact that players weren't committing. I've kind of passed all that. Of course, you just want it resolved as quickly as possible.

“I don't want to be asked the same questions at every press conference, so all I can say is that there's patience there. There's a bit of understanding of players. Each player is at a different stage of their career. Each player has got something to consider. A lot of players are married. A lot of them have kids. A lot of them are single. A lot of them want to play and maybe look at other options abroad and things like that.

“Every player's different but when we want a player, I stress how keen we are to keep working with them and we make an offer accordingly. Both myself and Graeme Jones are heavily involved in that and hopefully there's some good news in the next wee while. If there isn't, I'll probably get asked again next week. It'll be the same sort of answer. We're still trying to get these things done.”

Hearts visit Falkirk in the Premiership on Saturday following Sunday’s inspired 2-1 win over Celtic in Glasgow. Defender Harry Milne received his sixth caution of the season at Celtic Park and is therefore suspended for the match against Rangers four days before Christmas. Devlin and winger Alexandros Kyziridis are currently on five bookings and, should either player receive a yellow card at Falkirk, they will also miss the Rangers match.

Scottish FA rules state that a suspension for breaching the yellow card threshold takes effect on the seventh day after the match in which the caution was issued. Hearts defender Craig Halkett was banned for last moth’s trip to Aberdeen under that rule after he received his sixth booking of the campaign before his club’s 19th fixture.

“It's a bit of a stretch to expect Craig Halkett, when he's sitting five bookings, not to get a six booking before the 19th game,” said McInnes. “Cammy is something similar, I suppose. His booking on Sunday I thought was harsh. I think it was his first foul and you see a lot of what went on. Consistent from the opponents, players consistently fouling and fouling, not getting a yellow card, it sticks in my throat a wee bit. He's got a booking, he's got to deal with it. It’s competitive in centre-midfield, but I don't mind players picking up bookings when they have to make challenges and have to make tactical fouls at times. Sometimes in the middle of the park you're a wee bit more susceptible to picking up bookings.”

McInnes issued a warning to Kyzirids, though, that the Greek dare not get himself yellow carded in the next two matches and incur a ban. “Kyziridis, I've never known a winger to get suspended, so he better not pick up a sixth-game booking. It should be full-backs who are getting suspended for playing against him,” stated the manager. “That one's a bit strange, but nonetheless it's something we need to deal with. Obviously Harry misses Rangers and again, it’s a soft booking at the weekend. It was his first foul on Yang.”

Despite his caution, Devlin won another man-of-the-match award for his display against Celtic. “I'm glad he's getting recognised. You always want your players to be recognised,” said McInnes. “People are always drawn to the new signings. We did a calendar signing last night at Tynecastle and I asked every kid who their favourite player was. It was Braga and Kyziridis. But there's a wee reminder that guys who have been here a long time, like Devlin, Shankland, Halkett, Kingsley, Baningime.

“All these players, they've all been key players this season. It's good that players are getting recognised. Certainly from my point of view as an opposing manager and watching Hearts over the last few years, I always thought Cammy was a good player. He's got to take the credit for the improvements in his game this season.

“I think we've seen a lot more maturity in his performances, a lot more leadership, a lot more prominent. Not just when he's on the ball, but I think he's got big influence, which you want from your centre-midfield players. In the middle of the pitch, you can influence people around you, to the side of you, in front of you, behind you.

“People are always quick to point out what players can't do. I prefer to work with players and recognise their strengths and what things they can do. I do think Cammy's been a player who's been so consistent and it's nice that he's getting a bit of recognition for that. I'd like that recognition to come when he signs his contract, but it's nice nonetheless.”

McInnes spoke warmly on Falkirk and the work done there by former Hearts manager John McGlynn. “Before we played Falkirk last time, I made reference to John being a manager who has good experience in the game,” he said. “I think being in the top flight at Falkirk, he deserves that. I think Falkirk deserve that. It’s a club that, for so long, so many managers, so many boards couldn't quite get it right and get out [of the Championship]. John's been in there and imposed himself on the whole club. The club have come a long way since he's been in there.

“They've shown, as I said when they came up, that they've acted like a Premiership club for a long time now. Now they're actually competing in the Premiership, they look like a Premiership club. They've been a great addition to the league and I think John and his team deserve a lot of respect. Although we had a strong performance against them last time [winning 3-0] and we were good on the day, we still had to be really good to beat them. I think we're going to have something similar when required.”