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Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh Live
Sport
Ruaraidh Britton

Hearts transfer latest including Josh Ginnelly as Jambos 'eye' Scottish Cup winner for Jambos role

Hearts are set for a busy few weeks in the transfer market, and all eyes have been locked on Josh Ginnelly and whether the forward will remain at Tynecastle next season.

The Jambos have offered Ginnelly an improved deal following the expiration of his contract at the end of May, leaving him a free agent. He has several options in England, with three English Championship sides and others in League One keen to land the striker while he weighs up his future.

READ MORE: Euan Henderson Hearts emotional exit farewell as he thanks club for helping him realise his dream

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Other areas drawing attention see the club eyeing up a centre-back, right-back and a wide player according to Edinburgh Evening News, with Craig Halkett still sidelined with a cruciate ligament injury and both Michael Smith and Gary Mackay-Steven no longer with the club. James Hill has also returned to parent club Bournemouth.

Tynecastle officials have identified priority positions and are now looking to push deals over the line, as they plan to welcome in a new face in time for their week-long training camp in Spain on Friday, June 30.

Should there be any delay, they are confident they will be able to welcome a new player to their Costa Del Sol team hotel in the first week of July.

There are expected to be a number of changes before the new season and Hearts' European qualifiers kick off later this summer, with the Gorgie outfit aiming for a return to group stage action.

It comes after the club confirmed their management team of Steven Naismith, Gordon Forrest and Frankie McAvoy for the new campaign, with a replacement for the latter of the three also in the works.

Andy Webster lifts the Scottish Cup as Hearts maul Hibs 5-1 in the 2012 final (SNS Group)

McAvoy takes on the role of head coach, leaving the club without a youth academy director, and there are talks to bring in Scottish Cup winner Andy Webster into the vacant role.

Talks are reportedly at an advanced stage, with the 41-year-old currently on the books in a development coaching role at St Mirren, with officials keen to bring Webster to Riccarton to oversee the entire youth setup.

Webster's first Hearts spell saw him arrive from Arbroath back in 2001, running out at centre-back until 2006 when he left for Wigan Athletic after a public fallout with former Jambos owner Valdimir Romanov.

He then returned in 2011 before going on to win the cup in 2012 against Hibs in their famous derby final mauling, before moving back to England to join Coventry City the following year.

There were also 28 Scotland caps in a career that saw Webster run out for Rangers, Bristol City and Dundee United, before retiring at St Mirren in 2017.

The former defender is deemed to have the experience required experience after six years in the Buddies academy fold, and is viewed as the man who can enhance the system at Hearts.

Liam Fox has already made his Riccarton return as he prepares to coach the B Team in the Lowland League next season, and a return for Webster would allow him to oversee the whole youth operation.

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