Hearts are ready to offer Jamie Walker a huge contract in order to ward off interest from Rangers, according to a Scottish Sun report.
The newspaper claims Hearts manager Ian Cathro sees the 24-year-old attacker as a key player in his squad, and is ready to make him the highest paid player at the club.
This comes after Scottish Sun previously reported that the Gers were set to make a fourth bid in an attempt to prise the Scotland Under-21 international away from Tynecastle.
It was said Hearts are even willing to let Walker leave next year when his contract expires if their £1million valuation cannot be met by the Glasgow giants this summer.
The report states Rangers manager Pedro Caixinha believes the 24-year-old is keen on a move to Ibrox in order to further progress his career.
The Scottish Sun even claimed Caixinha watched Walker in action on Friday night as he scored Hearts’ goal in a 2-1 friendly defeat to Newcastle.
The attack-minded winger was one of the Scottish top-flight club’s most consistent performers last term, netting 15 goals and providing seven assists in 43 appearances in all competitions.
He broke into Hearts’ senior squad in the summer of 2012, and he has since played 162 league and cup games for the club, which have yielded 39 goals and 34 assists.