Joe Savage explains Hearts' signing plans and how the team can perform better with next season

Savage wants to raise levels in the Premiership, Scottish Cup and Premier Sports Cup whilst coping with European group stage football. A number of new signings are in the pipeline to help facilitate those demands.

Winger Alan Forrest is already a Hearts player after leaving Livingston to sign a two-year contract. The Australian international defender Kye Rowles will follow from Central Coast Mariners, provided his UK work permit is approved.

The Edinburgh club also hope to sign 19-year-old defender Lewis Neilson from Dundee United. It remains to be seen if they will be required to pay a six-figure compensation sum to United after Neilson’s contract there expired.

Savage explained how he and manager Robbie Neilson are working to strengthen the first-team squad at Riccarton. “I’m certainly going to be busy. There’s a lot we need to do and a lot of positions we need to fill,” he told the club’s website.

“Robbie and I are in constant dialogue about what we need. I would say we’ve got a few irons in the fire but nothing that’s imminent – nothing that we’re going to sign immediately.

“We are trying and we’ve got a few things to work on. We know where we need to strengthen but we’ve always stressed it’s quality over quantity. We need to make sure we get the right players in because we’ve obviously got the European campaign next year.

“We want to try and better the league campaign this season if we can, and we want to go further in the cup competitions and try to win them. We know we need to have a bigger squad but we need to have a better squad. That’s the aim and the ambition for us.”

Savage has high hopes for 25-year-old Forrest after watching him score seven goals and claim four assists with Livingston last season. “We’re