Heart of Midlothian endured somewhat of a slow start to their transfer business during the early part of the summer window, signing only goalkeeper Michael McGovern.
Steven Naismith has certainly upped his game over the previous few weeks however as the Jambos have secured talents such as Frankie Kent, Alex Lowry and Kenneth Vargas alongside a few others as he has significantly bolstered his squad.
Could the Scot be about to lose one of his prized assets, however? As Lawrence Shankland is attracting plenty of attention following his impressive displays for the Gorgie side last season.
Is Lawrence Shankland leaving Hearts?
Arriving from Belgian side Beerschot last summer for a fee in the region of £500k, it appears clubs in Saudi Arabia and England are showing interest in luring him away from Edinburgh before the transfer window closes.
According to Edinburgh Evening News, Hearts are not in any rush to sell their star man and will only consider a potential deal if a fee of £3-£4m is discussed, and that also includes add-ons.
He has just two years on his contract and Naismith will be tested should a large offer arrive for the Scot in the coming days.
Who could replace Lawrence Shankland?
The former Dundee United frontman netted 28 goals across 47 matches last season and has continued this fine form into the current campaign.
After just five matches in 2023/24, he has netted four times, including once in the wonderful Europa Conference League victory over Rosenborg which saw the Jambos secure a 4-3 aggregate triumph.
If Shankland does leave, Naismith could certainly turn to one of his summer signings to fill the void – Japanese striker Kyosuke Tagawa.
The 24-year-old arrived from FC Tokyo after Hearts paid a six-figure fee, and the forward has signed a deal until 2027 and he has the potential to take over from Shankland.
Tagawa has scored 28 times during his senior career so far and has enjoyed spells in Japan and Portugal, and he has even scored his first goal for Hearts, netting in the recent League Cup win against Partick Thistle at Tynecastle.
Hearts coach Frankie McAvoy praised the striker as Hearts had agreed a fee with FC Tokyo, saying:
"He's a good player. He's quick, gets in behind, scores goals and has good link up. He can use both feet so he's an exciting prospect. We're just waiting on international clearance in terms of today. But he's a player we're excited to get through the door.
"It's taken quite a bit of time but that can happen. The process can take longer than you'd hope but we're delighted to have Kyosuke in.
"If it comes through I imagine he'll be part of the squad. He can cover the four attacking positions. Striker, wide right, wide left or as the ten. He gives us great options and adds strength in depth."
The 6-foot frontman's versatility could also be key for Hearts, being able to operate across the front three if required, whereas Shankland tended to just play as a centre-forward.
Tagawa has even gained two caps for Japan, scoring once, demonstrating his undoubted talent. He perhaps isn’t as prolific as the 28-year-old, but the potential is clearly there.
With a first goal under his belt, Tagawa will be aiming to kick on and net a few more throughout the next few matches while showing Naismith exactly why he signed him.
