Jim Jefferies ready to rebuild Hearts as Romanov approves signing targets

• Jim Jefferies: Positive talks. Picture: SNS

The rebuilding process formally began yesterday when the Tynecastle club announced that the quartet of Michael Stewart, Laryea Kingston, Christian Nade and Jose Goncalves have all been released.

Now Jefferies, who returned to Edinburgh on Tuesday following lengthy talks with Romanov in Lithuania, is ready to step up his summer recruitment plans after having his list of potential signing targets approved.

Two midfielders and a striker are the priority for the Hearts manager who confirmed his interest in target man Kevin Kyle, currently considering his options as his contract with Kilmarnock comes to an end. But while Jefferies waits to discover if he can secure the players he wants, he is satisfied with both the autonomy and support he has been handed by Romanov.

"The discussions were positive," said Jefferies, "and it was pleasing that Mr Romanov was on the same wavelength as me in terms of the areas of the team we need to improve. I gave him a few initial names and he is happy for me to press on and try and bring them to the club.

"As I've said before, there is the nucleus of a good squad at Hearts but the big thing for us is to strengthen the first team. Mr Romanov agreed with me and that is the road we want to go down now. We are working on a few possible signings but are still a wee bit away from finalising anything. But hopefully we can get the right people in."

Scotland international striker Kyle, who proved an inspired signing by Jefferies when he was at Kilmarnock, is also the subject of interest from clubs in England and Greece. Jefferies can certainly be numbered among the 28-year-old's admirers. "No-one needs to tell me what Kevin can do," said Jefferies. "I know he will have a lot of offers on the table, so it's just a question of whether he is one of the names on our list we can push on with to try and sign."

Jefferies has also been linked with former Rangers striker Steven Thompson, who has yet to commit himself to a new contract offered by Burnley.

"We are linked with a lot of players," added Jefferies, "and I get a lot of calls putting names forward to me. Hearts are a big club and a lot of players would like to join. I put all the names down on a list, go through it and then decide who we pursue."

The departures of Stewart, Kingston, Nade and Goncalves strip the Hearts first-team squad of considerable experience, but Jefferies fully backs the decision to let them go.

"From day one since I came back, there has been an emphasis to reduce the wage bill," he added. "That's why players have moved on. We have to get the best value we possibly can from the first-team squad.

"We have obviously lost two good midfield players, along with a striker, and those are the areas of the first team we need to look at first and foremost over the summer. If we do invest in terms of transfer fees, the emphasis will be on younger players who can be successful at Hearts and move on to another level later in their careers. That's no different to what I did in the past at Hearts.

"If we are bringing in experienced players, then clearly the best value will be in trying to recruit those who are out of contract. We already have some excellent young players and it is a question of trying to get the right blend."

Jefferies is already close to completing one piece of business, with Slovakian goalkeeper Marian Kello poised to extend his stay at Hearts. The 27-year-old has been on loan from FBK Kaunas for the past two years and is ready to commit himself for another season. "I was asked in the meeting in Lithuania what I thought of Marian," said Jefferies, "and I said I wanted to keep him. I think the deal has been more or less agreed for him to sign on for another year which is good news."