Seven new Hearts signings as Tynecastle club secure a French double transfer

Hearts have confirmed their second French signing of the day after midfielder Tom Renaud checked into Tynecastle Park. His arrival follows the £850,000 capture of forward Sabri Guendouz at lunchtime, taking the number of new recruits in Gorgie to seven so far this summer.

Renaud agreed a move to Edinburgh back in April as he prepared to leave the French third division side Versailles. With his contract there now expired, the 25-year-old has signed a four-year deal to take his place in the new-look Hearts squad. He joins wingers Josh McPake and Calvin Miller, defenders MJ Kamson-Kamara and Malachi Fagan-Walcott, plus forwards Amadou Ba-Sy and Guendouz as fresh faces for season 2026/27.

Hearts will have an all-Belgian management team this term with Wouter Vrancken to take charge following Derek McInnes’ departure for Rangers. His assistants will be Tim Smolders and Cederique Tulleners. Vrancken arrived in Edinburgh on Wednesday morning and will meet his players for the first time at Riccarton on Thursday. He is already aware that a number of recently-signed players will be looking to integrate among their new team-mates.

Renaud is the latest addition. He is a multitalented holding midfielder with aggression, technical nous and a varied passing range. He is 6ft tall with an athletic frame. He is adept at playing diagonal passes out to wide players and is not shy when it comes to tackles and headers. He made 30 appearances for Versailles this season but, after playing in France’s Championnat National and other lower divisions, he is keen to test himself at a higher level.

Hearts offer the chance of European football, which starts next month in the Champions League second qualifying round. They will face Sturm Graz in Austria in the first leg on 21 July, with the return match at Tynecastle a week later. Renaud senses a potentially career-changing opportunity in Edinburgh and those closest to him believe he will succeed.

The Sunderland midfielder Enzo Le Fée spoke exclusively to the Edinburgh News back in April about Renaud and his attributes. The pair have been friends since childhood. “As a friend, I have been telling him for four or five years that he has to play at a higher level,” stressed Le Fée.

“I said: ‘You can’t stay in the third league in France.’ You can see every time that it’s too easy for him. Going away from France will be really good for him. Now is the perfect time for him to show everyone his qualities. I think he can be a better human, a better professional and learn a different pressure. He will need a bit of time to adapt when he gets to the Scottish league. After that, once he is okay, I think it will be really good for him and for Hearts.

“He will need time to understand how much you have to give on the pitch - fighting for every duel and you have to run a lot as a midfielder. In the league where he plays now, he can do a bit less because he is one of the best midfielders in that league. Sometimes he can have a bit of complacency but in the duels, when Tom wants to win the ball, nobody can take it from him. He is really strong, he can protect the ball and he has the technique to escape pressure. If Hearts have a really fast winger, he is going to enjoy playing next year because Tom is one of the best I ever saw in my life at playing a pass into space behind a defence. It’s crazy.

“We had a big generation of players when we were young, but Tom had the most quality. He is strong, he can use his right and left foot just the same, he is very technical, his vision is perfect, he can carry the ball, he can keep the ball under pressure and he can shoot. I think he needs to take more risk with his attacking play but he can shoot and deliver crosses. His best quality is that he can switch the play quickly without looking. When we were young, he was one of the best players in our generation. He is really like a complete player.”