Hearts have upped their offer to Lawrence Shankland in a last gasp bid to keep the Glasgow-born striker at Tynecastle.
A significant increase in wages plus an additional two years is understood to have been tabled to the current skipper and bosses have placed a deadline of Wednesday night to clinch the deal.
The 28-year-old still has 18 months left on his current contract and the Gorgie club have claimed that they have not received any offers for the highly-rated Scotland forward despite continued press speculation.
Shankland, who arrived in Gorgie from Belgian side, Beerschot, in July last year, has scored 19 goals so far this term, including one in the 2-0 win over Aberdeen at Tynecastle on Saturday.
This news follows the cinch Premiership club signing a pre-contract agreement with Ross County midfielder Yan Dhanda and reports that they are in talks to sign Livingston defender James Penrice in the summer.
The 25-year-old is available to sign a pre-contract now as his deal with the Lions runs out at the end of this season.
PICTURE: Lawrence Shankland by Ian Jacobs
Experienced news, business, arts, sport and travel journalist. Food critic and managing editor of a well-established food and travel website. Also a magazine editor of publications with circulations of up to 200,000 and managing director of a long-established PR/marketing company with a string of blue-chip clients in its CV. Former communications lecturer at a Scottish university and social media specialist for a string of successful and busy SMEs.
