Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Hearts hoping to keep loan stars
HEARTS chairwoman Ann Budge is “reasonably optimistic” of being able to hold onto l oan players Demetri Mitchell and Steven Naismith next season.
The duo i mpressed during t heir six-month spells at Tynecastle this term and have been linked with a return to Edinburgh.
Manager Craig Levein has made no secret of his desire t o keep hold of Mitchell and Naismith – on loan from Manchester United and Norwich respectively – and Budge says the club are trying to get deals done.
“We would like to secure their services again but to a large extent it is out of our hands,” she said.
“We have made it known we would like them and they have made it known they would like to stay here so if the other clubs involved see it that way too, then I am reasonably optimistic.”
Budge was speaking after it was announced that fan group Foundation of Hearts had fulfilled their promise of a £3 million contribution to the Tynecastle Redevelopment Fun, which went towards the construction of the new main stand at t he ground.
Pledges from t he f an group will now go back to majority shareholder Budge’s company BidCo – with the aim of becoming the biggest fan-owned club in Britain – and will enable Levein to put more money into his playing squad.
Budge, though, insisted the club would not go overboard with investment just ye t: “We are still building the team as well as the stadium,” she said.
“By this time next year I would like to think the bulk of this (building work) will be finished, and then we are simply looking at what we need as a football club, rather than a construction project.”