Accra Hearts of Oak have a lot of work to do this offseason. The Phobians need to significantly improve their ranks if they are to win the league title and compete in Africa.
While there is still uncertainty surrounding who becomes the club’s next manager, they will need to make decisions on players to target, and more importantly, players to move on.
Hearts are expected to be very active in the transfer window and they may need to generate funds from player sales to help finance move for new acquisition.
Here are 5 positions need to strengthen in the coming season.
Strikers
The Hearts attack is, without a shadow of doubt, the club’s priority in the upcoming transfer window. Yeah, Hearts have strikeforce issues. If you didn't know that, you haven't watched the Phobians since they won the title under Samuel Boadu three seasons ago.
Kwadwo Obeng Jr, Yassan Ouatching, Junior Kaaba, Isaac Mensah, Victor Aidoo and Albert Eonde Diego all failed to deliver in the goods for the Phobians. Ouatching, Kaaba and Aidoo have departed but the futures of Obeng, Mensah and Eonde remains unclear.
Whether it's a much-touted young player or another experienced campaigner, Hearts need a striker who can hold the ball up and allow wide players and attacking midfielders like Amankwah Baafi to play what's in front of them.
It is not beyond the realms of possibility the Phobians undergo yet another sizeable changeup of their forward line.
Right-Back
If it wasn't for the versatility of Amankwah Baafi, Hearts would be completely up sh*t creek without a paddle. The teenage midfielder was assigned a role at right-back due to the inefficiencies of Samuel Inkoom and new recruit Kwabena Anane.
The departure of Fatawu Mohammed left a massive hole, not just at the back but in the dressing room too. The Phobians should consider strengthening the depth of their squad with a right-back. A behemoth like Hearts shouldn’t have to repurpose a midfielder in defence because they don’t trust their right-backs.
As reliable as Baafi is, he isn’t a right-back, and Hearts need to invest heavily to avoid a repeat of the numerous dropped points from this campaign.
Centre-Back
Another area of weakness for Hearts is undoubtedly at centre half. Konadu Yiadom, Caleb Amankwah, Zakari Yakubu and Robert Addo Sowah look the part on the whole, but too many mistakes - perhaps because they are under the cosh so much - have cost the team dearly this season, contributing heavily to the Phobians’ woes.
It's understandable, then, that rumours surrounding potential centre-back reinforcements continue to circulate especially with Alhassan’s situation with the club in the air. The door remains open for an injection of quality, and Matic would certainly jump at the chance to sign a top-class central defender.
Left-Backs
A real problem position for the Phobians in recent years as Dennis Korsah’s much hyped transfer hasn’t worked out the way everyone hoped. He’s likely to be leaving in the near future.
Korsah’s injuries and inconsistency have paved the way for Rashid Okine to come through, and the youngster has failed to impress with some poor performances. Hearts certainly need a new left-back if they are to compete at the highest level.
Wingers
The vintage winger of yesteryear is hard to come across in the current day and age. The emergence of the ‘inverted’ wide man has altered our perceptions of the winger. Such players are no longer expected to hit the byline and cross at will - that’s now the job of the marauding full-back - but are instead tasked with cutting onto their favoured foot and creating or scoring from a more central position.
The Phobians should scour the market and recruit left and right wingers who can complement the efforts of the attackers.
