The Tynecastle club have opened talks with Stephen Hughes after agreeing a £50,000 fee with Leicester City for the midfielder, and the former Rangers player is expected to be joined by the Argentine pair Damian Giminez and Fernando Screpis, who are both available on a free transfer, says The Scotsman.

Giminez, 25, is a left-back who can also play in midfield and has been made available by his club, Nueva Chicago, after relegation to Nacional B in Argentina.

Screpis, 28, is a left-footed central midfielder who is no longer wanted by his club, Defensores de Belgrano. Both players are understood to have Italian passports and would not require a work permit.