Steven Naismith has compared football to the "wild west" as Hearts brace themselves for January interest in striker Lawrence Shankland.
The Jambos top scorer and stand-in captain has 18 months left on his contract after hitting 28 goals last term and is sitting on 18 for the current campaign so far - with speculation intensifying that he could make a move away from Gorgie with Rangers and English Championship clubs being tipped with a January swoop.
However, the Tynecastle outfit are desperate to keep their top scorer as they look to seal third spot in the Scottish Premiership and guarantee European football next term.
The club have made the Scotland cap a contract offer that would make him the highest paid Hearts player for ten years - but Naismith concedes it may not be enough with Shankland at a sliding doors moment in his career.