Hearts underwent a transformation in the summer as head coach Derek McInnes and Tony Bloom's data analytics company, Jamestown Analytics, combined to reshape a squad that had struggled to impress the previous season.
James Penrice, Jorge Grant, and Barrie McKay all left for pastures new in pre-season, as Claudio Braga, Alexandros Kyziridis, and Stuart Finlay entered - and it has worked perfectly for the Jambos, who sit six points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership at the halfway stage.
The likes of Barrie McKay, Kenneth Vargas, and Aiden Denholm also waved goodbye to Gorgie, and many of the club’s youngsters took an opportunity to move out on loan to gain valuable first-team experience. But while Hearts have been riding high at the top of the Scottish Premiership, what happened to those who moved on in the summer window?
Here we look at the 14 Hearts players who moved away from the club before the start of the new campaign, and assess how they have done for their new teams in the first half of the season. Who has found success away from Tynecastle - and who regrets their decision to leave?
13. Yutaro Oda - Shonan Bellmare
While the Japanese winger officially left in March, we've included in this list considering he departed well after the winter deadline. Return to his homeland with a permanent transfer to Shonan Bellmare after scoring just seven goals in two years at Tynecastle, and has struggled in the J-League this term, finding the net just once in 22 appearances. | SNS Group Photo: SNS Group
14. Musa Drammeh - Torreense
The Gambian had an admirable work rate, but looked very raw in his time with Hearts, and was allowed to move to the Portuguese second division in the summer. Drammeh has featured 12 times for his new team, and while just two of them have been starts, he has been able to find the net twice. Still just 24, he still has his best years ahead of him. | SNS Group Photo: SNS Group