Hearts boss speculates Zaliukas manoeuvring for transfer

The future of Hearts skipper Marius Zaliukas is uncertain as contract negotiations stall with owner Vladimir Romanov.

However, the defender insists he wants to remain at Tynecastle after December, when his FBK Kaunas contract and Hearts loan deal expires.

He also dismissed reports of demanding £20,000 per week to sign for Hearts but he and Romanov have yet to find a mutually agreeable figure.

"We had a chat but nothing was solved," Zaliukas said.

"Now that I'm the captain of course I'm enjoying it over there but we will see what is going to be."

Hearts boss Jim Jefferies had speculated that Zaliukas might be engineering a move after being told both parties were "miles apart" in their figures.

"He said he was happy here. He said if he could get the deal he was looking for, he'd be happy to stay," Jefferies told the Edinburgh Evening News.

"But there's a big difference between what he's looking for and what teams can afford, that seems to be what's holding it up.

"Sometimes players don't want to stay and they can maybe ask for quite a lot more knowing they've got no chance of getting it."