Heart of Midlothian will play either Crusaders or Rosenborg in their Europa Conference League third-round qualifying tie as they eye a spot in the group stages for the second season in a row.
Steven Naismith will need to continue his recent activity in the transfer market if they aim to have a better season than 2022/23, where they finished fourth in the Premiership and failed to even reach a semifinal of either domestic cup competition.
The next couple of weeks will be crucial, and the manager will be hoping his squad will be a bit more padded out by the time they face St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park in seven days.
How many players have Hearts signed?
There have been three new arrivals at Tynecastle so far. Goalkeeper Michael McGovern, defender Frankie Kent and midfielder Calem Nieuwenhof have all been tasked with improving the club during 2023/24 and the latter two in particular could be key players for the Jambos.
There will surely be more signings before the end of August, with defender James Hill, who spent last season on loan at the Gorgie outfit from AFC Bournemouth, potentially looking for another stint in Edinburgh.
He said: “It would definitely be in consideration because everyone at Hearts has been amazing. They’ve made me feel at home. I’m not out of place here. I feel like a massive part of this squad. When you have that belief, the sky is the limit.
“The group at Hearts is incredible and the standard of this league is a surprise when other players step in because there is such quality.”
Could he be signing number four? It wouldn’t be a surprise if Naismith managed to make this happen in the coming weeks.
How good is James Hill?
Another centre-back could be extremely useful, especially with the talents that Hill possess, and he could slot in alongside new signing Kent with ease.
The former Peterborough defender became the latest player to sign for the club, having spent all of his career either in League One or League Two in England.
He impressed last term for The Posh, ranking first for clearances (3.7), fourth for interceptions (1.1) and second for accurate passes (45) per game, indicating that he not only exudes a solid defensive approach, but is suited to passing out comfortably from the back.
Hill also shone during his spell north of the border last term, ranking second for clearances (4.3) and first for interceptions (1.5) per game in the Premiership, and although he didn’t complete as many accurate passes per game (30.4) as Kent, he more than makes up for it with his tenacious nature, averaging 1.8 tackles per game.
Hailed as a “success story” by journalist Gregg Evans in 2022, the 6-foot youngster could form a dream defensive partnership with Kent next term which could allow Hearts to become a tougher side to score goals against.
With Kent being comfortable in his passing ability and Hill showing a dogged resilience to make sure no defender gets through him, the duo could be wonderful together as Naismith chases a third-place finish and potential group-stage football in Europe.