Cathro refuses to discuss Berra link

Hearts head coach Ian Cathro expects to sign about four new players this summer but refused to discuss the chances of Christophe Berra being one of them.

The Scotland defender is believed to have held talks over a return to Tynecastle after Ipswich agreed to let him leave Portman Road so that he can be closer to his daughter in Edinburgh.

But Cathro insisted there would be no official transfer business until the end of the season.

“He is a player I know and I am aware of the speculation and the intensity surrounding it just now and there are reasons for that,” he said. “There will be no comment on any of that until the end of the season.”

Cathro signed nine players in January but his side have lost a grip on a top-four place and trail St Johnstone by six points with three games left of the Premiership season.

He expects a more manageable transfer process during the summer.

“I think four players will join us,” he said. “The summer window is very different to the January window, partly because you have more time.

“We are not a club that is in the position in the market to have transfer fees so that determines it is very difficult in January and significantly easier in the summer.”

Cathro takes his team to face Rangers tomorrow six months after making his managerial debut at Ibrox.