Joe Savage talks Hearts transfers, Lawrence Shankland, Alan Forrest and Joe Wright during cup final preparation

Women’s football and the club’s youth academy take up significant time but Savage knows he is, to an extent, judged on signings in his role. Manager Robbie Neilson can focus on Hampden Park tomorrow while Savage continues working on summer targets. Of which there are many.

He takes time out to chat with the Evening News, openly discussing some of those he and Neilson want to lure to Edinburgh. Joint assaults on domestic and European competitions next season demand a larger first-team squad and Savage has been working on potential new arrivals since the January transfer window closed.

Neilson would like to bring the Scotland international forward Lawrence Shankland home from Beerschot having worked with him previously at Dundee United. Savage acknowledged that the Belgian club’s £500,000 asking price is an issue.

“Yeah, I think so. I’m not the type to deny things like that,” he says. “He is someone Robbie and the coaches have worked with before and they think he’s a very good player. He is someone we are aware of. We haven’t opened any discussions or made any offer yet.

“I can see why we’re being linked with him because we do need a striker for next season, no doubt. There’s nothing on that just now. I’m not saying there won’t be, it’s just we haven’t done anything on it yet.”

The former Doncaster Rovers centre-back Joe Wright has an invite to join pre-season training at Riccarton. Hearts agreed to sign him last summer before he suffered knee and ankle damage in Rovers' final game of the campaign. Savage wants the player to take up the invitation.

“Hopefully. We had interest in Joe before his injury,” he explains. “He’s a good lad, a good character and a good player. I think there might be something in that in terms of