Cillian Sheridan has questioned the “excitement” around Tony Bloom’s £9.86m investment in Hearts and the Brighton owner’s intent to challenge for honours.
Bloom, whose Jamestown Analytics already had an ongoing relationship with Hearts, hopes the Tynecastle club can “disrupt the pattern of domination which has been in place for far too long” after completing a deal to buy a 29% stake.
“Celtic and Rangers will be doing something similar themselves,” former Celtic, Kilmarnock and Dundee forward Sheridan told BBC Radio Scotland’s Sportsound.
“I think there’s maybe too much excitement about how much of a difference it’s going to make.”
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No team outside Celtic or Rangers has won the Scottish top flight in 40 years, with Sir Alex Ferguson’s Aberdeen champions in 1984-85.
And Sheridan added: “£9m or £10m. I don’t think that’s going to challenge Celtic or Rangers. Celtic could go and buy, and I would imagine they probably will, one player in a transfer in the region of that.
“It might elevate Hearts above the rest of the pack but I don’t think it’s enough to challenge the [top] two, really.”
Last season, Brighton finished eighth in the Premier League, just missing out on Europe. Hearts were seventh in the Scottish Premiership.
“Brighton’s model was, probably similar to Brentford’s, getting players at bargain prices,” said ex-Republic of Ireland international Sheridan, who is now with Brechin City.
“They get players who are unheard of. At what stage in the pecking order do Hearts come into it?
“Do Hearts get the players that Brighton don’t want? Which ones are Hearts getting?”