If the Hearts transfer rumour flying around involving former £20m man is true I’d be delighted

They call this time of year 'silly season' for a reason.

The domestic action has finished and with players, managers and agents all off on a beach somewhere, there’s no-one home to crush the wild transfer rumours flying around. And there’s plenty of them already across the Premiership. Some will have substance, others will be Jackanory stuff. But if the one I’ve heard doing the rounds - that Hearts are in for Oli McBurnie - turns out to be true then I’d be delighted.

Listen, it might turn out to be a bigger load of nonsense than a Tory election pledge but for me that’s exactly the calibre of player Hearts should be after this summer. He’s out of contract at Sheffield United and looking to move on, so why shouldn’t Steven Naismith make a bid to bring him to Tynecastle. He’s got the lure of European football, a cracking stadium, some of the best training facilities in the country and the backing of a passionate fan base to offer the former £20million man. I really believe that it’s an attractive proposition which would appeal to a lot of players.

I just hope the club chiefs are thinking along similar lines when it comes to making a statement signing. I read Naisy say this week that the Hearts hierarchy won’t risk the club’s long-term sustainability by splurging the £5million windfall it's set to rake in from qualifying for Europe all in one window. Given the financial mess the current board has had to unpick over the last decade, of course it’s entirely right that the people in charge are careful with how they spend their precious income.

But that doesn’t mean they have to curtail their ambition in the transfer market. There are plenty of ways you can structure a deal or a loan that will allow you to bring in high-quality