Heart of Midlothian have now made three summer signings as Steven Naismith is slowly but surely ramping up his transfer business ahead of the new Premiership season.
Who have Hearts signed?
Despite waiting a few weeks to actually bring anyone in, Naismith appears to be making up for lost time, signing Michael McGovern, Calem Nieuwenhof and now Frankie Kent, bolstering the spine of the team.
With the Jambos recently finding out that they will play either Crusaders or Rosenborg in their Europa Conference League third-round qualification tie, the Norwegian side are surely heavy favourites, and it’s clear the Tynecastle outfit require a few more signings, especially forwards, to stand any chance of making it through to the next round.
With that in mind, Adolfo Gaich could be someone who ticks several boxes for them.
Who is Adolfo Gaich?
Lawrence Shankland and Josh Ginnelly were the two highest scorers in the Hearts side last term, netting 28 and 13 times respectively. The Scottish striker will be aiming to hit over 30 goals next season, however, Ginnelly departed the Jambos having turned down an extended contract.
The winger joined Swansea City in the Championship and his departure should now push Naismith into moving for more attack-minded players to complete his squad.
One such player who has been linked is Argentinian striker Adolfo Gaich, who has been valued at €3.3m (£2.8m) by Football Transfers.
Journalist German Garcia Grova claimed that Hearts were keen on the player last month, tweeting:
“Adolfo Gaich has a chance to continue in Verona. The team intends to renew the loan of the 24-year-old striker. Also, the Hearts of Scotland is interested in the striker whose pass belongs to CSKA."
He spent the season on loan at Serie A side Hellas Verona, and they are clearly aiming to sign him on another loan deal, however, Naismith won’t be backing down that easily, especially with his talents.
How good is Adolfo Gaich?
The 24-year-old began his career with Argentinian side San Lorenzo, making 28 appearances and scoring eight goals and this form eventually had European sides sniffing around him.
CSKA Moscow lured him to Russia and having netted just once during his first season, he was soon sent on loan to Serie A side Benevento.
Further temporary spells have taken him to SD Huesca and Verona, scoring three goals combined across both spells, yet a move to Scotland could unlock his true potential.
Gaich has even been capped for Argentina and was linked with a move to Leeds United, alongside AS Roma and Sevilla back in 2020, with former goalkeeper Paul Robinson lauding the youngster as “the real deal” amid the reported interest.
The striker ranked fourth for shots per game (1.5) in the Verona squad last season, while also ranking seventh for successful dribbles per game (0.8), suggesting that he showed plenty of attacking intent, even if his final league goal tally of two didn’t exactly showcase his ruthless nature.
A loan move would represent a significant gamble for Hearts, yet with Naismith dying for more attacking options at the club, Gaich could find the Premiership a league in which he truly does become the 'real deal'.