Hearts head coach Neil Critchley has confirmed the club are looking into signing a striker and potentially another left-sided defender.
But the Englishman admits his shortlist could change drastically between now and the window opening, particularly if his squad suffers any more injuries.
Hearts lost Stephen Kingsley and Frankie Kent to injury against Aberdeen last weekend, while Beni Baningime is another fresh concern ahead of facing Dundee at Tynecastle.
Kingsley is a long-term absentee and will be out for several months with a hamstring tear, which is why Critchley is considering a similar player in the transfer market.
He’s also keen on another striker, but doesn’t want to commit too much to what he wants in early December.
Hearts want striker and defender in January
He told the press on Friday: “It goes without saying, you always want strikers to be able to score goals. I also think they’ve got to complement the players that are already here.
“I sometimes feel slightly uncomfortable talking about January when we’re at the start of December because lots can change, i.e. a Stephen Kingsley situation or injuries.
“It’s hard for me to talk in great confidence in saying this and this because things can change. Is that an area of the pitch we’d like to strengthen? Yes, of course it is.”
Asked about signing a left-sided defender, Critchley replied: “Potentially, yes. It was still an area of the pitch that we were looking at anyway. With Stephen being out, that is something that we’ll have to consider.”
Is Lawrence Shankland’s form influencing striker search?
Critchely primarily wants another striker in January to provide more competition up front and isn’t fuelled by the fact captain Lawrence Shankland has scored just once this season.
The Hearts boss stressed: “No, I just think we need competition. If you ever bring in a player to the club, particularly on a permanent deal, then you’ve always got the short term but the long term – what it’s going to look like in the future.
“That then fits into your strategy of a football club and the identity you want your team to have in the future. Do those players fit your way of playing, how you want to play the game?
“Anyone we want to bring in has got to fit into what we’re hoping is going to be the heart, weight, our identity for the long term.”