Hearts: Craig Levein looking to sign up to 10 players in summer

Hearts manager Craig Levein is happy with the transfer budget he has to spend in the summer

Hearts manager Craig Levein wants to sign up to 10 new players in the summer, as he looks to strengthen his squad.

Levein is also keen for loan players Steven Naismith, Joaquim Adao and Demi Mitchell to remain at Tynecastle.

"The recruitment process has been ongoing since January and we are making progress," Levein said.

"It will be between seven and 10. It just depends what we can find for the money available."

The Edinburgh club have spent around £14m building a new main stand and will have to pay around £1m for a new pitch and £500,000 building a nursery at the stadium.

Levein, who is also on the Tynecastle board, says he is happy with his transfer budget and that in 12 months time the club will be in better financial shape.

Hearts captain Christophe Berra was one of 10 first-team signings last summer

"A year from now there is no doubt we will be in a much stronger position financially because we still have money to spend on loads of different areas within the stand," Levein said.

"We won't get to the position where we are throwing huge amounts of money at the playing budget because the club will be run frugally.

"But I don't expect the budget to be cut drastically in the summer. We have been living quite frugally over the last four years, as has been apparent by the amount of money we have been able to sink into the new stand project, without any real debt.

Hearts signed 10 players last summer, and Levein concedes that there will be a significant turnover of players when the transfer window opens again at the end of the season.

"It's a normal situation," he said. "Going into the summer you have players out of contract and some of them will leave, some might leave that you don't want to leave, some might be moved on.

Hearts striker Steven Naismith is one of three loan players Craig Levein wants to keep at the club

"Everybody is looking for new players. Everybody has players who are out of contract. I'm not worried about this transfer window. I see it as an opportunity.

"The recruitment in January was good. I was happy with the quality of players we brought in and that is a difficult window, so hopefully we can do the same in the summer.

"[Naismith, Adao and Mitchell] in particular have added to the group and they can all help us going forward. Whether it's possible, I don't know. If you are asking if I would like to keep them, the answer is yes.

"Obviously there are complications on every loan deal because when you arrange a loan deal it's for a period of time. If you want to extend that then there are conversations to be had with players, with agents and with other clubs.

The trio are all due to return to their respective clubs, Norwich City, FC Sion and Manchester United, at the end of this campaign.