Brighton’s former manager Mark McGhee has backed Tony Bloom to use his recruitment expertise to find the ideal replacement for departing Hearts boss Derek McInnes.
McGhee believes Bloom’s data-driven approach will ensure the Edinburgh club suffers no lasting damage from losing both McInnes and skipper Lawrence Shankland to Rangers.
Bloom’s £9.86 million investment in Hearts last summer also gave the club access to his widely respected Jamestown Analytics recruitment operation, which McGhee sees as a major advantage.
McInnes is on the verge of completing his move to Ibrox to replace Danny Rohl, with a three-year deal agreed and Hearts set to receive a compensation fee believed to be around £700,000.
The Jambos are now set to begin formal talks with candidates ahead of players returning to pre-season training next Thursday, with informal discussions already underway.
McGhee, who led Brighton to Championship promotion in 2004, said: “I think with Tony Bloom’s involvement in Hearts now, he won’t miss a beat.”
He added that Bloom would “ramp up his algorithm and come out with someone that’s going to lead Hearts into the future who will be equal or better than Derek McInnes.”
McGhee was equally confident about Hearts replacing Shankland, saying: “That’s what Tony does. And as far as replacing Shankland, he’ll do the same. Hearts, I think, have a big future.”
McInnes guided Hearts to within minutes of their first Scottish title in 66 years before Celtic snatched the championship in the 87th minute of the final day decider at Parkhead.
Despite backing McInnes to succeed at Rangers, McGhee told TalkSport he believes leaving Hearts carried genuine risk for the outgoing manager.
He said: “I look at that a little bit and I think what’s happening at Hearts is really quite exciting and I would have been tempted to stay at Hearts.”
McInnes spent five years as a Rangers player and was part of the club’s nine-in-a-row title dynasty in 1997, giving the move clear personal significance beyond professional ambition.
The Hearts board met on Sunday night to draw up an action plan following Rangers’ move for their manager, with candidates from both the UK and abroad now under consideration.
Experienced departures including Frankie Kent, Beni Baningime and Alan Forrest compound the rebuilding challenge facing whoever takes the Tynecastle hotseat this summer.
Veteran goalkeeper Craig Gordon is also expected to retire, while midfielder Cammy Devlin has yet to sign a new deal amid reported interest from MLS club Real Salt Lake.
Hearts have already moved to strengthen their squad by adding Calvin Miller, Josh McPake, MJ Kamson-Kamara and Amadou Ba-Sy ahead of the new campaign.
Deals for York City defender Malachi Fagan-Walcott and Versailles midfielder Tom Renaud are also expected to be concluded in the coming days.
The pressure on the incoming manager is underlined by a Champions League qualifying tie against either Fenerbahce or Sturm Graz less than six weeks away.
Hearts head to Spain for a pre-season training camp on Saturday, June 28, as they prepare for what promises to be a pivotal and demanding season.
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