Joe Savage insists there's no reason Hearts can't beat Celtic and Rangers to the Premiership title in the foreseeable future - and reckons he'll have the last laugh if anyone wants to call him "deluded."
The transfer supremo has helped Robbie Neilson install the Tynecastle side as Scottish football's third force as they finished best of the rest by some distance last season. For their efforts, they've been handed guaranteed European group stage football even if they fail to qualify for the Europa League.
It's been a busy summer for the Jambos who have already signed six players with Lawrence Shankland the latest new arrival. And Savage reveals he's been rallying all their new stars for a tilt at the title, urging them to come and help "whip" Celtic and Rangers. He told Sky Sports: "We want to win the league. That's my personal ambition. People could call me deluded for that, but it's 11 men vs 11 men on the football pitch. If we're organised, and we train and play properly like Robbie and his coaches do, there's every chance we can do that.
"Am I saying that it's going to happen in the next two or three years? Probably not. But why am I here? Finishing third and fourth sounds good but why would you not want to try and win the league, and get as close to (Celtic and Rangers) as you possibly can?
"I know it's going to be difficult, I'm not trying to say we'll do it any time soon, but that's the ultimate ambition. When we sign players, we're trying to tell them that. 'Come here and help us whip them, help us try and get there.' It might not happen but it won't be for the lack of trying."
Neilson recently revealed Hearts want another "two or three" players and Savage echoed the manager's sentiments. He revealed they are still in the market to strengthen down the spine of the team, after losing a significant number of players already this summer.
He went on: "We lost quite a few players last season. We had four players on loan last season and we lost John Souttar and a few others, like Aaron McEneff who moved recently. We always planned that we needed eight or nine. We've done six, so there's another three that we need to get.
"It's been well documented we're in for another centre-back, another central midfielder, and probably another attacker. We're trying to see what's out there, we're in talks with a few people to see what can be done."
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