Heart of Midlothian head coach Steven Naismith has revealed the club will do all they can to keep Lawrence Shankland at the club.

A concerted effort has been made to keep the striker at Tynecastle Park beyond his current deal which expires in the summer of 2025. He could become the highest-paid player at the club and extend his contract for at least two years if he were to sign. 

Speculation has surrounded the 28-year-old following his goal-scoring exploits this season with 18 goals in all competitions for Hearts. He is on course to reach the 50-goal mark this month and would become the first player to hit the milestone in his first two seasons at the club since Willie Bauld.

READ MORE: Lawrence Shankland's Hearts value far outweighs what clubs will be willing to pay

Despite speculation linking him with a variety of teams, Hearts are yet to receive an offer for the player.

Speaking at a fan event on Wednesday night in the Gorgie Suite, Naismith addressed Shankland's situation.

"We want to keep Shanks," he said. "As a club, we will do all we can to keep Shanks. Everybody here loves him. Everybody wants him to stay. He is bordering on being a legend at the moment and I think he will be by the end of this season. But he could be more.

"On the flip side, and this is the honest truth, Shanks is 28 years old and playing the best football of his career. He has got a decision to make as he goes. For any player in the world, moving on a free transfer brings opportunities that might not be there if someone is buying you.

"He has got a family and he has all this to weigh up. The best option might be to stay at Hearts, but it might not be. We don’t need to sell him, so he is guaranteed 18 months if we really want him for 18 months. We need to enjoy him, we need to use him, and be as successful as we can be with him.

"He can be breaking records here, scoring goals – and I don’t think his goal-scoring has ever been as good – his form, that has got a value in itself. We will do all we can to keep him but ultimately Shanks will decide. He is a person with a career and a family, and you need to respect his decision on that front."