Manchester City have pledged to loan Hearts teenager Aaron Hickey back to the Scottish Premiership side in a bid to seal a £1.5million transfer in January.
The English champions are keen to see off competition for the 17-year-old left-back from English Premier League rivals.
Two-footed Hickey impressed with his display in the Scottish Cup Final defeat to Celtic at the age of 16, just weeks after making his debut, and has since emerged as a key first team player.
A willingness to allow Hickey to return to Tynecastle until the summer is appealing to manager Craig Levein.
Hickey's immediate interest to English Premier League sides is apparent under rules stating that 25-man squads must include at least eight homegrown players.
To be classed as 'homegrown' a player must have spent three years with a club before the age of 21.
With Hickey due to turn 18 in June a January move ticks boxes for England's biggest clubs despite ongoing talks between Craig Levein and the defender's father over a new contract. Hickey's current deal has 18 months to run, with former club Celtic due 30 per cent of any transfer fee.
And Hearts and City have developed a close working relationship, the Edinburgh side taking Japanese star Ryotaro Meshino on loan in the summer.
City are also edging towards a deal for a *second* Scottish teenager, with Kilmarnock winger Liam Smith in their sights.
Sportsmail understands the Rugby Park outfit face a battle to hold onto the coveted 16-year-old, with a raft of clubs interested.
Kilmarnock want to tie the left sided wide man down to a new deal to avoid losing him for a figure of around £200,000 in training compensation.
Smith caught the eye of clubs after scoring the winner for Scotland's under-16 side against Malta in a three team tournament on the Mediteranean island in March