Hearts Preparing for Key Signings Ahead of 2025/26 Scottish Premiership Season
Hearts are actively exploring options to strengthen their squad for the upcoming season, with a new right-back high on their priority list. The club’s management at Riccarton recognizes the need to reinforce the position and will collaborate with sports recruitment agency Jamestown Analytics to scout potential signings when the summer transfer window opens.
Costa Rica international Gerald Taylor, who arrived on loan from Deportivo Saprissa last summer, has struggled for game time, managing just 13 appearances due to two separate knee injuries. His latest setback, suffered while on international duty last month, casts doubt on his availability before the season concludes.
With Taylor sidelined, 20-year-old Adam Forrester remains the only senior right-back in Hearts’ squad. He made his first-team debut in September and has since made 26 appearances, continuing his development after stepping up from the club’s B team.
Head coach Neil Critchley acknowledged the need for reinforcements in the position. “Gerald is on loan, and Adam has done really well, but we always want two players for every position to maintain squad competitiveness,” Critchley told the Edinburgh News. “The players know they need to perform well to keep their place. It’s definitely an area we will be looking at.”
Hearts Planning Additional Signings
Beyond the right-back position, Hearts are also considering bolstering their attacking options. The loan deal for forward Elton Kabangu from Union Saint-Gilloise expires in May, but the club holds an option to make the move permanent.
Meanwhile, the team’s latest signing, Harry Milne, made his debut in last weekend’s 3-0 loss to Celtic, featuring on the left side of a three-man defense. Despite the defeat, Critchley praised the defender’s performance. “It was a big moment for him, and I’m delighted. He had to be patient, but he gave us natural balance in the back three,” the manager said.
Milne, who previously played as a left-back and left center-back for Partick Thistle, brings versatility to Hearts’ defensive setup. “That flexibility is one of the reasons we signed him,” Critchley noted. “He can cover left-back if James Penrice is unavailable, and we saw him perform well in a back three at Partick. He’s a determined player with plenty of ability.”
With the summer window approaching, Hearts are expected to be active in the market as they aim to build a competitive squad for the 2025/26 campaign.
