Heart of Midlothian have begun their 2023/24 campaign in impressive fashion. The Gorgie outfit have recorded a win and a draw in their opening two Premiership fixtures and have qualified for the League Cup quarter-finals.

The 4-3 aggregate victory over Rosenborg has been the most pleasing aspect so far however, going through to the playoff round where they take on Greek side PAOK this week.

Amid the glorious start to the season, could Naismith be close to losing his talisman?

Is Lawrence Shankland leaving Hearts?

The Scot has been in sensational form since moving to Tynecastle in the summer of 2022 from Belgian side Beerschot.

He netted 28 goals across all competitions during 2022/23, including three in Europe and has carried this momentum into the current campaign, scoring four goals over five matches to give Hearts a solid start.

This type of form was always going to pique interest from other clubs, and now it appears as though teams from Saudi Arabia and England have made enquiries regarding his availability.

The Jambos are in no rush to sell according to Edinburgh Evening News and would only let him depart the club should an offer arrive in the region of £3m-£4m along with some add-ons, representing a major profit considering they signed him for just £500k.

It would be a major blow for Naismith to lose a player who has shone during his spell in Edinburgh so far and who could be the difference between playing European group stage football or not.

If he does move on, the club may just have an ideal future heir for the 28-year-old waiting in the wings – Mackenzie Kirk.

Who is Mackenzie Kirk?

The son of former Hearts striker Andy Kirk, the youngster is aiming to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a regular in the first team.

He is making a solid start to these aspirations, netting 25 goals across just 35 matches for the B side since the start of the 2021/22 season and these are numbers which will surely keep getting better.

Under former manager Robbie Nielson, Kirk made his senior bow in April 2022 against Ross County, coming off the bench for a short cameo, and he received praise from his boss following the game.

“It was good for Mackenzie to come on,” Nielson said. “He’s had a wee injury, then he came back in and scored in the Youth Cup semi-final recently. He has been doing well and he is a natural finisher.

“There was only a couple of minutes to go on Saturday and Boycie had cramp. We were going to take him off so it was time to give the boy a chance. We put him on and, if there’s anybody at the club going to nick a goal, it’s Kirky. He’s that type of player.”

This certainly gave him the confidence boost he needed as Kirk went on to score 17 times for the B side in the Lowland league last season and has continued this rich vein of form into the current campaign, netting six in six.

Should Shankland depart Edinburgh for pastures new, Naismith should have no worries about giving Kirk a chance.

The 19-year-old has shown he is an out-and-out striker and if given the opportunity, could repay the manager handsomely.