Aberdeen midfielder Niall McGinn will reject the offer of a three-year contract from Hearts as he ponders whether to leave the Dons for a second crack at English football.
The 29-year-old Northern Ireland international is in the final six months of his contract at Pittodrie and new Hearts manager Ian Cathro is keen to take McGinn to Tynecastle where the former Celtic player would work with new Jambos assistant Austin MacPhee.
The coach is assistant to Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill and is a huge admirer of the Aberdeen midfielder.
McGinn’s preference, however, would be a move back to England should he leave the Dons, but Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes hopes to keep the player at Pittodrie and further talks are scheduled for later this month.
McInnes knows the lure of English football lingers for his player, but will try to convince McGinn he should extend his stay at the club.
McGinn spent the 2011-12 season on loan at Brentford from Celtic but has enjoyed his most prolific and consistent spell of his career since former manager Craig Brown convinced him to move to Pittodrie in the summer of 2012.
McGinn scored five goals in 41 appearances as the Bees finished ninth in League One, but his Dons career has been more productive with 62 goals in 201 appearances for Aberdeen along with 46 assists in a successful four and a half years at Pittodrie.
Clearly, he leave Pittodrie his departure would be a significant blow to the Aberdeen manager’s attack.
McGinn has established himself in the Northern Ireland team and scored for his country against Ukraine in last summer’s European Championship finals in France.
He also captained his country on his 50th appearance in November against Croatia.
McInnes has spoken of his desire to give McGinn a break following three seasons of continuous football for club and country.
The Dons will fly out to Dubai on Tuesday for a warm weather training camp but the Northern Irishman appears to have been given an extended break after flying to San Francisco yesterday for a holiday.