Former Hearts of Oak captain Yaw Amankwah Mireku believes management need to up their game in handling contract negotiations with players.

Last week, the Phobians announced five first-team players had exited the club over their refusal to extend their expired deals.

Benjamin Agyare, Christopher Bonney, Bernard Arthur and Abubakar Troare were among the departed men but it is the exit of star forward Joseph Esso that has generated the most controversy.

''[Hearts] management can't be solely blamed for free players' exit," former Ghana international Mireku, who won the Caf Champions League with Hearts in 2000, the Caf Super Cup in 2001 and the Caf Confederation Cup in 2004, told Nkunim FM.

"Sometimes the players decide against extensions but professionally I think management should always start early negotiations with the players if they need them.

''Some of the players are ungrateful because players like [Vincent] Atinga, [Kwame] Kizito, [Patrick] Razak and co. [who similarly left the club under similar situations] were all from nowhere but Hearts of Oak gave them the platform but later they stood against extensions and left for free.

''But sometimes too when players from nowhere join a team, they are sometimes treated badly and when it's time for extension, the player also considers how he was received or treated to decide his future.

''So it's better for Hearts of Oak to check how they treat players, especially those from nowhere.''

Latest media speculations say Esso could be making a sensational return to the Accra-based side as some bigwigs at the club are unhappy by his departure.