Laszlo's drive for new recruits is far from finished

Published on Saturday 4 July 2009 11:20

CSABA LASZLO stressed today that Hearts' summer recruitment drive is far from over following the arrivals of Spanish winger Suso and midfielder Ian Black, with the manager hoping for as many as five new faces in the near future.

Laszlo was out of the country yesterday and has recently been formulating plans to reinforce his squad.

Hearts head to Germany on Monday for a four-game pre- season tour, during which some potential new signings may be assessed before a final decision is taken on their suitability for Scottish football.

Priorities remain central defenders and strikers and the Evening News has learned that Laszlo has already identified preferred candidates for both positions.

"In a short time I hope to have more players and, after that, we can talk about the team and the squad," the Hungarian told his club's website.

"We have a little bit of time but we must begin to work and try to quickly form a competitive team.

"I don't like to take players at the last minute but the most important thing is that from Monday we are together."

Jose Goncalves, the Portuguese defender, has resumed training at Riccarton following a season-long loan at the German club FC Nuremberg. He will provide defensive options next season and can operate both at centre-back and left-back, however Laszlo underlined that he must first justify himself to the coaching staff.

"Jose is like a new player but nobody gets a free letter to the team," he said.

"He must show his talent and find his place. It is important to bring quality to the team. If you do that, you have a chance to play for me. If you don't, you must look for an individual sport."