Hearts transfer update: Robbie Neilson speaks on quartet's chances of being at club plus Lewis Neilson situation

Pre-season footballs are barely out of the cupboard and Robbie Neilson finds himself fielding questions on a myriad of issues at Hearts.

Things are fairly relaxed behind the thick walls of Riccarton as the club’s manager speaks about three potential new signings, top goalscorer Liam Boyce’s future and a compensation claim from Dundee United for recent recruit Lewis Neilson.

Players only reported back to the training ground from their summer break on Tuesday. It has been a busy week building up to a training camp in Spain which starts tomorrow.

Alex Cochrane, on loan at Tynecastle Park from Brighton last term, looks like being the next permanent Hearts signing following Alan Forrest, Kye Rowles and Lewis Neilson. The plan is for Jorge Grant to follow from Peterborough United.

“We are still working away with Brighton so we will hopefully get that [Cochrane signing] over the line, maybe in a few days' time,” said Neilson. “Grant from Peterborough is still a wee bit back and forward but, again, we are quite far down the line with it.

“Both players are desperate to come here, it's just a case of getting this sorted out in the background. These things always take longer than you would hope.”

Brighton only extended 22-year-old Cochrane’s contract earlier this month and Hearts moved quickly to agree a deal for the left-back. “Right from Alex’s first couple of months here, when we saw the type of player he was, how he fitted into the group, the team and the style of play, we were trying to move things forward.

“We have always been in contact. We expected Brighton to extend his contract and the hope was that we could then make a move to get him up here. So far, it has worked out well.”

Grant, 27, is predominantly an attacking