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The first newcomer of the summer for the Edinburgh club, controlled by Lithuanian businessman Vladimir Romanov, became Czech national team defender Rudolf Skacel, who moved from the club under a loan agreement.
The 26-year-old Skacel, who recently celebrated his birthday, spent last season at the team, but failed to establish himself, so the Greek club did not exercise its right to buy the player for 1.5 million euros from Marseille.
"Rudolf is a wonderful player and it is no secret that we had to fiercely compete with other competitors for his signature," said Hearts coach George Burley. "I believe he is impressed by the ambitions of this club, which were evident in negotiations with him, and I believe that he will play very successfully next season."
However, this may not be good news for Hearts defender Saulius Mikoliunas, as the addition of left-back Skacel to the team will probably require the Lithuanian to compete with him for a place in the starting lineup, although it is not ruled out that the Czech could also play in defense.
Meanwhile, according to Hearts strategist G. Burley, Lithuanian national team striker Edgaras Jankauskas has arrived in Edinburgh and is participating in a trial. It will be decided during the trial whether the player, who recently left Porto, will also join the "Lithuanian" Scottish club in the near future.
