The seven key traits shared by Hearts' summer recruitment

Already, the new squad, coupled with a new management team, have hit the ground running with an unbeaten start to the campaign, going into the international break top of the Premiership.

These signings have come from near and far and may seem to all be very unique, but when you dive deeper into these signings, you find some similar trends.

I’ll be discussing seven key traits that are seen throughout the club's summer signings or pre-contract agreements, all of which help paint a picture of the style that is to be expected this season under Derek McInnes.

Hearts fans have already seen these traits in action with some of the summer arrivals making a positive impact early in their Tynecastle Park careers.

Work ethic and high fitness levels

Players: Stuart Findlay, Tomas Magnusson, Christian Borchgrevink, Oisin McEntee, Alexandros Kyziridis, Sabah Kerjota, Claudio Braga, Pierre Kabore, Eduardo Ageu, Islam Chesnokov, Elton Kabangu

There has been an emphasis on bringing not just the right type of players in, but also the right type of people.

As is the norm in modern scouting, robust background checks have been done on each player to ensure that the players recruited are strong professionals with good attitudes.

Now, saying they are all good guys would be subjective. Outside the likes of Findlay and Borchgrevink, who were captains at times in their careers and have been noted to be brilliant leaders, it’s hard to find tangible evidence to back up someone's character.

One thing we can look at to understand this is their fitness levels and work ethic. Each of the signings have fantastic fitness levels and an impressive work ethic, both of which are things I noticed very early on in my research into each player.

They’d leave it all out on the pitch, and even though they were putting in a lot of hard graft, they still looked like they had more to give come the final whistle.

Jamestown has the best data available and you can be sure that they will know the ins and outs of our potential signings' fitness data.

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High intensity pressing

Players: Tomas Magnusson, Oisin McEntee, Alexandros Kyziridis, Sabah Kerjota, Claudio Braga, Pierre Kabore, Eduardo Ageu, Islam Chesnokov, Elton Kabangu

Now, this is very similar to my first point but not entirely.

A good work ethic and high fitness levels come in very handy when you’re looking to play with high intensity and an intelligent press, but they aren’t mutually exclusive.

A player can be high intensity but only last 45 minutes per game. A player can be unfit but able to play a high press with good football IQ. All of the attacking players stood out to me as effective in a high-intensity press.

Hearts want to be hard for teams to play against, and have a squad of players who can do this.

The likes of McEntee, Braga, Kyziridis and Kabangu have already proven their worth in this aspect, but the others have shown these qualities during my research.

The first thing I noticed about Kabore was that he made me tired just watching him. He was full of running, harrying defenders and never giving up. While his pressing could probably be refined and more structured in a more team-based press, he has the will and the raw abilities to be a fantastic addition to a high pressing side.

Ageu is full of energy and really fills that box-to-box midfielder brief well. Part of that role is to be able to get up and down the park and contribute to the press.

Kerjota also showed his impressive pressing qualities in the very first minute of the first game that I watched him play. He helped press and win the ball back in the middle of the park before driving forward and getting an assist for the first goal of the game.

My favourite clip is when he picks the ball up here… https://t.co/Yyree0e9qv pic.twitter.com/SlP1UVAAE8

— Irving Analysis (@IrvingAnalysis) July 22, 2025

Set pieces part 1: Taking

Players: Christian Borchgrevink, Alexandros Kyziridis, Sabah Kerjota, Pierre Kabore, Tomas Magnusson, Islam Chesnokov

Set-piece productivity is going to be a key attacking element for Hearts. McInnes puts a lot of stock in his team being good at set plays, while the club have brought a specialist in Ross Grant to the club.

Five of the new recruits are well-versed in set-piece taking. These players have experience taking corners, direct and indirect free kicks, and penalties.

Added to the existing set-piece takers, like Harry Milne and Blair Spittal, Hearts now have a plethora of talent and multiple different options in each scenario, which will make the team unpredictable to the opposition.

Set pieces part 2: Receiving

Players: Stuart Findlay, Tomas Magnusson, Oisin McEntee, Claudio Braga, Pierre Kabore, Islam Chesnokov

On the other side of the set pieces, Hearts want players who are able to get on the end of balls into the box. I don’t have to tell you how valuable Stuart Findlay has been with this, with four goals from set pieces already in maroon.

Magnusson and Kabore are fantastic in the air and have backed this up with goals at their previous clubs. McEntee is also very impressive in the air and even though the Irishman hasn’t been a prolific goalscorer in the past, I think that he will be a huge asset at set pieces.

Chesnokov and Braga are a bit different. They have that goal-scoring instinct that helps them to find space in the box without being the biggest and know how to be in the right area to get onto the second ball.

Skillful

Players: Alexandros Kyziridis, Sabah Kerjota, Claudio Braga, Pierre Kabore, Eduardo Ageu, Islam Chesnokov

Skill is a pretty broad term, especially in football. In general, it’s best used to describe exciting attacking players with the ability to beat a player, get fans off their seats, and provide the 'X factor'.

Hearts have not been blessed with these types of players in recent times, with signings expected to fit the mould either being entirely disappointing or performing to a good standard, but not in that exciting way fans expected.

Hearts have seen the evidence of Braga and Kyziridis and the skill they will be bringing in attacking areas, and those on social media will be well aware of the exciting and skilful goals and assists Chesnokov and Kerjota can provide.

Kabore isn’t traditionally skilful like these other players are, but he has explosive pace and power, is comfortable in tight spaces when outnumbered, and fancies his chances in one-on-one situations with defenders.

Ageu has only played 31 minutes in maroon, so he is yet to show off his skill in Scotland, but going by footage watched prior to his signing, I think that the Hearts faithful will be burning a few extra calories per game with the number of times he gets the crowd off their feet.

Hearts fans will be hoping he dodges injuries as well as he dodges the opposition! pic.twitter.com/UhymCBo54o

— Irving Analysis (@IrvingAnalysis) September 18, 2025

Hearts are becoming more exciting as a squad, not only with the higher intensity the Jambos are capable of playing with, but also the ability to play exciting football.

Fans have seen glimpses of it, but when the team gets settled, I think fans will see this excitement on a regular basis.

Forward-thinking

Players: Tomas Magnusson, Christian Borchgrevink, Oisin McEntee, Alexandros Kyziridis, Sabah Kerjota, Claudio Braga, Pierre Kabore, Eduardo Ageu, Islam Chesnokov, Elton Kabangu

You’re not a Hearts fan if you haven’t moaned at the team to 'get the ball forward!'.

Whilst I could waste my breath trying to convince you that playing backwards is important at times to draw out a low block and create space, I’ll focus on another thing that helps when dealing with defensive sides.

The players Hearts have recruited this summer are all well equipped to reduce shouts like this coming this season. Hearts have players who like to both pass or drive forward with the ball if possible, like Kerjota, Braga, Kabore, Ageu and, in future, Chesnokov.

Kabangu likes to make his runs in behind early, albeit a bit too early at times, which leads to him being offside regularly - something that could be fixed with more intelligent and quicker-thinking players around him.

Borchgrevink and Magnusson who like to play progressive passes and McEntee who enjoys being a mix of a progressive passer and a dribbler, whilst it’s not his main role.

Crossing

Players: Tomas Magnusson, Christian Borchgrevink, Oisin McEntee, Alexandros Kyziridis, Sabah Kerjota, Islam Chesnokov

Chance creation will be key this season, be it from set pieces or other situations. With an abundance of different styles of attacking players, finding different ways of getting into the box will be important.

The squad now has quick and skilful wide players who can arrive in the box late, more physical midfielders like McEntee and Magnusson, as well as several different profiles of central forwards - the poaching ability of Shankland, the pure power of Kabore, the movement of Kabangu and Wilson, and the speed and tenacity of Braga.

Crossing should be a big part of our goal creation this season. All of the mentioned players can deliver from out wide.

Where Magnusson and McEntee are more likely to cross balls in from deeper, Kyziridis, Kerjota, Chesnokov and Borchgrevink will find themselves both playing the early crosses and also hitting the byline to get balls in the box.

It’s not something that has been seen in an abundance from these players so far, but in time it will come.

I think specifically, Kerjota and Borchgrevink may surprise a few supporters with this aspect of their game. Borchgrevink is probably the pick of the bunch when it comes to quality of crossing.

Kerjota may opt for using his brilliant crossing ability, as he did against Hibs, more often until he gets used to the pace of the game and understands how to effectively and consistently beat defenders like he was used to in Italy.

Fans were very lucky to be able to watch such a strong left-sided partnership in the first half of last season, and I can see a similar happening this season on the right.

The plan is obvious. McInnes wants fit, high-intensity pressing and skilful players who can benefit the team at set pieces, contributing to the creation of and being on the end of chances in the box.

The recruitment has been very interesting, and at times may seem random, but it’s evident that there are common themes and structure to our business this transfer window.