Barrie McKay in new Hearts contract talks as Robbie Neilson tables two other Tynecastle offers

Hearts manager Robbie Neilson has ramped up contract talks with Barrie McKay as he looks to keep his star man at Tynecastle.

The forward has been among the stand-out performers for the capital side this season with third-spot in the Premiership all-but sealed.

McKay revealed in an exclusive Sunday Mail Sport interview at the weekend that he was keen to extend his stay in Gorgie with his current contracts set to expire at the end of next season.

Neilson joked that he had locked the on-form attacker in his office and would not let him out until he signs a new deal.

He said: "I've been speaking to Barrie about it for a while.

"He's been outstanding for us this season and we're desperate to try and keep him here for a longer period.

"I've been speaking to a couple of players and we offered another two contracts a couple of days ago so we'll see where we go."

Hearts are currently going through a tough period with injuries.

Beni Baningime is set to be out until late 2022 at least after suffering cruciate ligament damage, while key trio Cammy Devlin, Michael Smith and John Souttar are all in a race to be fit for the Scottish Cup semi-final against rivals Hibs.

Neilson added: "We're disappointed with Beni. We're probably looking at after the World Cup break before he's back. The other guys we're just pushing as hard as we can.

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