Craig Levein has trolled Alfredo Morelos after Aaron Hickey was linked with a transfer to Ibrox.
The 17-year-old only made his top team debut in May but is already attracting interest from English sides with a fee of £2m being banded about.
With their chronic financial problems matching that sort of fee and the contract that would accompany it would be way beyond the means of the Ibrox side who have major bills in January to meet from Close Brothers and Sports Direct.
Levein has seen the transfer games played out many times with Jamie Walker strongly linked with a move to Ibrox last year before he joined Wigan Athletic.
Responding to the Hickey story Levein told the Edinburgh News:
Who do we play at the weekend? We’re going to put an offer in for (Alfredo) Morelos tomorrow. I’m taking that one with a lump of salt.
Hickey joined Hearts from the Celtic Academy in July 2018 when he signed a three year contract. Hearts are keen to get him to sign a new contract with Celtic guaranteed a 30% cut of any transfer fee received.