Steven Naismith discusses the prospect of more Hearts signings and players leaving
A defensive midfielder was considered but that has changed
Summer transfer business is not necessarily finished at Hearts despite seven new recruits arriving. The club are not actively working to sign more players but will move for the right person and the right deal should those emerge. Some of their 31-man first-team squad will leave before the window closes at the end of August to reduce numbers.
Priority positions, such as right-back, have been filled thanks to pro-active scouting and negotiating earlier this year. Daniel Oyegoke and recently-arrived Gerald Taylor will compete for that position, whilst goalkeeper Ryan Fulton, full-back James Penrice, midfielders Yan Dhanda and Blair Spittal, plus forward Musa Drammeh add competition and quality across the pitch.
The Hearts head coach Steven Naismith is perfectly content with the options he now has in every department. Another signing or two is possible should someone extraordinary transpire within the club’s budget, however Naismith is in an enviable position ahead of season 2024/25 as his team prepare for domestic and European assignments.
“There is nobody where we're desperately saying: 'We are going to do that.' I think we are at a point where we've improved,” he said. “We have identified areas where we have wanted to improve, we've done it and we've done it quickly. All that helps more for the European games.
READ MORE: The value of Gerald Taylor’s Hearts transfer
“Will we sign more players? Potentially. Will players leave? Yes. We're not sitting here desperately going: 'We need to do this, this and this.' In every area we've got players that we've identified that might be somebody for us. Whether that be we think, 'Aye, let's get them' or whether we think, 'Right, somebody has moved on and we need to replace.’”
Signing a defensive midfielder was considered essential until Beni Baningime agreed a new two-year contract in May. Now, it is further down the priority list. “Yeah, exactly,” said Naismith. “It's not an area we are now prioritising saying: 'Right, we need to fill that like we needed a right-back.’ If you are looking around the squad, I would say there is Beni and Macaulay [Tait] who are two out-and-out No.6s.
“It's probably an area that, going forward, we need to look at at some point and you never know what could happen. But, if the window shut tomorrow, I wouldn't be concerned that we've not signed a No.6.”
The seven players transferred to Gorgie in recent weeks all went through a similar process. After being identified, a personal chat with Naismith gives an early impression of what they will be signing up for. “The elements of it are pretty standard,” explained the head coach. “What they are coming to - it is what it is. It's the way we work, the way we play, the way we do it. For every player, that part is very similar.
“We talk about the club in general, the demand, all the things I think are relevant. Those meetings are set up months before having meetings with players. The reason you are interested in somebody is because you put in your homework and look into them. You see where they fit. While that process is going on, you're effectively building what you will be telling and showing the players.
“There is the bit about being in this team, what's expected of you, what type of player they are individually, what kind of person I am, the coaching staff, what kind of person they are. It touches on it all. The last thing I want is for us to sign somebody and then one side or the other sits three months later thinking: 'This isn't really what I expected.' That just shouldn't happen.
“It's an honest conversation. If they don't like what I see, they are better hearing it now and going: 'This isn't for me.' That works vice-versa as well. I'm not selling anything. I'm literally having a conversation to say: 'This is us, this is what you will come to. I think I can make you a better player because I don't think you are good enough at X, Y and Z, I think you are really good at this and that's why you will help us.' It gives everybody a nice feeling of whether it will work or not.”