David Templeton has warned that Hearts could need as many as five new signings this summer to adequately replace the players they are losing.
The former Hearts star believes Jamestown Analytics may need to find two quality players just to cover the departure of captain and top scorer Lawrence Shankland.
That figure could rise to four or five if midfielder Cammy Devlin follows Frankie Kent and Beni Baningime through the exit door at Tynecastle.
Manager Derek McInnes and his recruitment team face a significant rebuilding task after losing their skipper, with Kent and Baningime already departing as free agents.
A question mark also remains over Devlin, who is currently preparing for the World Cup with Australia.
Templeton said: “Lawrence will be a massive miss – his goals and assists and as their captain. You can see he’s become a right good leader. It’s always hard to replace that.”
The former player expressed hope that Tony Bloom’s analytics operation could find suitable replacements to help Hearts keep pace with the Old Firm in the coming season.
Templeton added: “Hearts have been so close this season and you don’t want them to fall away after the summer because they have lost key players.”
He also flagged uncertainty around goalkeeper Craig Gordon, noting: “We still don’t know if Craig Gordon is going to retire. He’s not played much but will still be huge behind the scenes.”
On the prospect of losing Devlin on top of the other departures, Templeton said: “Straight away you’re missing two of your leaders there. Baningime and Kent are away now as well.”
Hearts have already moved to begin their recruitment drive, with former Lincoln City defender MJ Kamson-Kamara already signed ahead of the new campaign.
Josh McPake will arrive on a free transfer from St Johnstone, while a deal is understood to be close for Versailles midfielder Tom Renaud.
FC Rouen striker Amadou Ba-Sy is also being pursued, and York City have rejected a bid made for Malachi Fagan-Walcott.
Templeton said: “You’ve got to have faith in the analytics. So far, a lot of the Jamestown signings have done well. You hope they do get it right and they find good replacements.”
He stressed that replacing the off-field qualities of the departing players may prove even harder than finding goal contributions, saying: “That leadership in and around the changing room, you’re probably going to miss that the most. That’s what fans won’t see.”
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