Sheffield Wednesday are in talks with striker Callum Paterson over extending his contract at the club, according to Football Insider.
Paterson's current deal at Hillsborough expires at the end of the season and he was the subject of transfer interest from Scottish Premiership side Hearts in the summer, with the Jam Tarts reportedly having three bids rejected, the last of which was turned down on deadline day.
The 28-year-old began his career at Tynecastle, scoring 38 goals in 158 appearances for the club before departing for Cardiff City in 2017.
Hearts boss Robbie Neilson made no secret of his interest in bringing Paterson back north of the border during the January window in what was a very public pursuit.
"We will just need to wait and see,” Neilson told The Scotsman earlier this month. “He is obviously a Sheffield Wednesday player and has come back into their team, so things have changed a bit in the last few weeks. We would love to get him in but we need to wait and see what they say.”
It does not seem the Edinburgh club are ready to give up on Paterson just yet either, with Football Scotland reporting earlier this week that they may try to agree a pre-contract offer which would see him arrive for free in the summer, while Paterson is said to be open to the move.
Wednesday were reluctant to let Paterson go last month, particularly given he has become a regular in recent weeks, with his versatility proving incredibly useful in their promotion push.
Now it seems the Owls are attempting to convince Paterson to reject Hearts' advances and tie him down to a new deal in S6.
The verdict
It is a sensible move for Wednesday to open talks with Paterson over an extension.
They will have been pleased to keep hold of him beyond the closure of the window as even though he is not the most prolific striker, his versatility and physicality are incredibly important assets, as well as his tireless work rate.
His experience could also prove crucial in the promotion race and having spent time in the Championship during his career, he would be more than capable of making the step up should the Owls achieve their ambitions.
With that in mind, this is an agreement they are right to try to secure, although it would not be a surprise to see Hearts table a pre-contract proposal as they look to land one of their top targets.