Laszlo insisted the move to sign Kello was his decision

Hearts manager Csaba Laszlo has dismissed suggestions that new goalkeeper Marian Kello was signed by the club's owner Vladimir Romanov.

The 25-year-old Slovakian arrived in Scotland on Friday from FBK Kaunas, a club sponsored by Romanov's bank.

However, Laszlo maintained he had watched Kello against Rangers, and the choice to sign him was his alone.

"I had a lot of information. I saw the Rangers game. We needed quality and this is a good guy," said Laszlo.

Kello featured in Kaunas' victory over Rangers in the Champions League second qualifying round and becomes Hearts' third signing of the summer.

Laszlo has been keen to strengthen the goalkeeping department but was quick to quash the notion that he was not in charge of the Edinburgh club's signing targets.

"Before the questions comes about Mr Romanov I will tell you something: I was the person who decided that if the time was there when Kaunas did not have any chance in the Champions League or Uefa Cup that I needed this guy here.

Kello played in Kaunas' victory over Rangers in the recent Champions qualifier

"He is a very talented goalkeeper. We need goalkeepers here.

"This was a decision between me and Mr Romanov.

"I saw this goalkeeper in the training camp in Germany when he played two games. He convinced me.

"I think that the best possibility is to know that we look for quality. The owner also wants quality. We don't do too many transfers.

Laszlo also revealed that the move to sign Kello would not conclude his interest in the Hungarian keeper Janos Balogh.

"The Hungarian goalkeeper is very talented, but it is a decision between me, the goalkeeper and the club," he said.

"At the moment he told me he would fly back. We made an offer.

"He told me he wants to think about this. You cannot force someone to come here.

"Next week we can come back to this question."