How Hearts got ahead of transfer game to get the drop on Premiership rivals

Hearts gaffer Steven Naismith is chuffed that the team are "ahead of the game" with their player recruitment going into next season.

The Jambos have moved quickly to land Motherwell's Blair Spittal, Livingston full back James Penrice and Ross County playmaker Yan Dhanda on pre-contract agreements that will see them arrive at Tynecastle on free transfers next summer. Earlier this week, the Gorgie side also completed a deal to sign winger Kenneth Vargas - who joined them on an initial season-long loan from C.S. Herediano last summer - on a permanent transfer, with the Costa Rica international penning a five-year deal in the capital.

Speaking on his Hearts' business in the market in recent weeks, former Rangers and Scotland star Naismith said: "I'm not going to talk about individual players (who have agreed pre-contracts), but one of the biggest things I took from when I was a player here was that the turnover of players each season, and when that happened, was so reactive.

"We can't be reactive, we want to be ahead of the game. We want to be in a position where we know the areas within the next year to 18 months we might need to strengthen, whether it be for competition for places, because we feel somebody might move on, or somebody's coming to the end.

"For whatever reason, you need to try and be a good year ahead. I feel last summer, getting the signings in was a wee bit later than we wanted. In January, we did it well, we got the players in early doors that we wanted."

"With the general progression of your squad, you need to constantly keep trying to develop the players that are here, improve in areas that you want to, and do it as quickly as you can. It's never going to be perfect, it's not been perfect, but we'll do