Islam Chesnokov is “really excited” about joining Hearts after talks with head coach Derek McInnes in recent days, says sporting director Graeme Jones.
Chesnokov, 25, agreed a pre-contract in the summer and is due at Tynecastle next month despite “noise” in his homeland that the move from Tobol was in jeopardy.
“We’re looking forward to having him in, in early December. We had a call with him on Friday just past and he’s really excited about coming,” Jones told Hearts TV.
“I appreciate there’s noise that’s surrounding him back in Kazakhstan, but we can’t do anything about that noise. We have a pre-contract agreement in place and we’ve got a player that’s really excited about coming here.
“He had a great conversation with Derek on Friday. So, for us now, it’s just making sure that we facilitate the set up. So, the transition as he comes into the country is as smooth as possible.
“He can have a good month’s training with us, and be ready and available for selection as of the beginning of January. He’s a really exciting one for us and as I say, the sooner we have him, the better.”
On whether Hearts, who currently lead the Premiership by seven points, could add further players in January, Jones said: “Well, every transfer window matters for us, like all clubs, but particularly with the utilisation of Jamestown. So, there are certain areas within the team that we want to improve.
“But we have to balance that with the harmony within the group. We will work to be as active as we can be, but balancing that out with making sure that we maintain a harmony within the group and keeping that positivity and focus on the gradual improvement of what we’re achieving.”
