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Lawrence Shankland is highly regarded by Derek Mc Innes Heart of Midlothian head coach Derek Mc Innes believes there will be "clarity" over the future of captain Lawrence Shankland "in the coming days", with the Edinburgh club prepared for him either remaining or leaving. The 29-year-old Scotland striker is a free agent and mulling over his next move, but Mc Innes is keen for Shankland to extend his stay as he looks to rebuild and improve on Hearts' seventh-place finish last season. Speaking at a Tuesday media conference, Mc Innes revealed "we are due to speak again today". "Hopefully, the next time we speak, there might be a wee bit more clarity on it, " the former Kilmarnock boss said. Rangers claim 'early returns' from 49ers and Leeds tie-in Who has your Premiership club brought in & let go? - summer 2025 Mc Innes said Hearts "would like to try to find a way" to keep Shankland. "From our point of view, we're just trying to prepare for both eventualities, " he said. "If Lawrence does commit to us, brilliant and we'll get the benefits of that. He's got to weigh up so many things for him and his family. "Hopefully, by the conversation today, we'll have a better idea where it's at. And, if Lawrence isn't going to be with us this season, of course it will be disappointing, but at the same token, there's enough to be excited about here. "There's a brilliant project going on here and we'll just try to find solutions to what we want to achieve this season, but hopefully Lawrence is part of it. At the minute, he isn't. I expect there to be a bit more clarity in the next few days. " Mc Innes was keen to point out that there are many benefits for the Scotland international in staying at Tynecastle and believes that, if Shankland was set on leaving, he would have communicated that to the club by now. "I do think that, if it was a no, he would have told us, " he explained. "I do think he sees so many positives from resigning at Hearts, but what we've all got to appreciate is, when a player runs his contract down, particularly good number nines, then sometimes there can be other things to consider. " Shankland, who joined Hearts from Belgian club Beerschot in 2022, was linked with Scottish Premiership rivals Rangers last season and could attract interest from English clubs and abroad. "I really feel Lawrence as part of a strong Hearts team can elevate himself, " Mc Innes suggested. "I think he's capable of scoring 25-30 goals a season in the right team and used in the right way. " "We can offer security. We can offer building a team and being part of a team that's trying to be successful. " Mc Innes believes that Shankland is also aware that scoring goals for Hearts will keep him in Scotland head coach Steve Clarke's plans. Hearts have already made six signings this summer and Mc Innes is "still looking to try and identify one or two in key positions", but he added that: "We're not looking to do too much more in terms of ins. " The manager explained that the squad is currently on the "top-heavy" side and there would probably be "a natural parting of the ways for some" when Hearts return from next week's pre-season trip to Spain. Visit our Hearts page for all the latest news, analysis and fan views Get Hearts news notifications in the BBC Sport app England within 50 runs of victory while India require five wickets Emotional Raducanu battles into Eastbourne second round 'Ball bounces like a rabbit' - Luis Enrique on pitches Heartbreaking, heartwarming cult classic with Rob Brydon The doctor who rebuilt the faces of World War One soldiers The all-star cast of The Celebrity Traitors revealed Decoding politics with Marina Hyde and Armando Iannucci 'Aberdeen savour the most perfect game ever played' How Mc Tominay became a Napoli icon after Man Utd exit Scotland men's internationals to be shown live on BBC Commonwealth Games: Why is it so special to be part of Team Scotland? From titles to tinpottery - rank Scotland's top 10 clubs Scoring machine or freak season? What Mbeumo could bring to Man Utd 'Like talking to Andy Murray' - impressionist quizzes tennis stars. Video'Like talking to Andy Murray' - impressionist quizzes tennis stars In Pictures: Sporting photos of the week Who is the most iconic British & Irish Lion of all time? Which drivers are in danger of losing their seat for 2026? How Draper became a genuine Wimbledon contender Fleetwood's stumble gives US Bradley-sized Ryder Cup headache Which young players could light up Euro 2025? How Earps gives 'big sister' energy to Toone & Russo. Video How Earps gives 'big sister' energy to Toone & Russo The Stevenage tennis player who is Taiwan's No 1 What do you remember about the 2013 Lions tour? Why Alcaraz is 'red-hot favourite' for third Wimbledon title Have the Club World Cup's innovations been good or bad? Copyright © 2025 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.