Steven Naismith is confident Hearts will make the ‘right signings’ as they patiently seek new recruits who are the right fit both on and off the pitch.
The Jambos faithful are growing restless as they see rivals strengthening their squads ahead of the new season.
The Tynecastle side and St Johnstone are the only teams in the top-flight not to bring in fresh faces so far this summer.
Hearts were linked with interest in Dylan Levitt before the Dundee United midfielder joined Hibernian, whilst Wigan Athletic’s Jamie McGrath is thought to be a strong target.
The Gorgie men have also missed out on potential move for striker Sammy Silvera and Kanji Okunuki after they joined Middlesbrough and Nürnberg, respectively, whilst a bid to sign Japanese right-back Riku Handa broke down.
As technical director, Naismith has detailed how he has the final say of the new management team on signing targets.
But he is determined not to be rushed into anything as Hearts seek at least a right-back, central defender and forward to augment their current squad.
He said: “We’ve identified the main key areas we need to improve, and get more numbers in. Generally, we want to improve the squad.
“We’ve identified what we need to do and the type of player we need, and we’re working away on that. “We’re fortunate that we have loads of people in the background doing research and character referencing and whether they fit into the style of play we want to bring.
“It’s something that’s constantly being worked on. “We understand we need to make signings, and when the time is right and the deal is right, it’ll happen at the right time.”
Naismith told Hearts TV: “Different players have different attributes, even if they play in the same position.
“We need to understand that in this area of the pitch we do x, y and z, and this player fits that profile and fits that understanding. The next level of that is how is that character?
“You’re not just bringing in a great player, you’ve got to bring a player in who fits into the group and pushes others within the group and adds to the mix of the overall group of players and staff.
“There’s loads of work going into it, we’re continuously doing it, and I think over time we’ll make the right signings when we’re ready and we think we’ve got the right player to come in.”
