Andy Halliday is pretty confident Lawrence Shankland will remain a Hearts player by the end of the transfer window.

How certain? 90 percent, the new Motherwell midfielder insists.

The 32-year-old addressed his old teammate's future tonight while appearing on Clyde 1 Superscoreboard, as one caller was adamant the striker would end up at Ibrox.

Jambos skipper Shankland has been constantly linked with a move away from Tynecastle as time on his current deal ticks down.

The Scotland international has a little under 18 months remaining on his contract, with the club having tabled an extension offer to him last week.

Both Rangers and Celtic are in the market for a striker this month, and the pair have been touted with moves for the 28-year-old.

However, Halliday is almost entirely sure that the frontman will still be plying his trade in Gorgie come the beginning of February.

He told Clyde 1 Superscoreboard: "What did Stuart say, 100 percent? I'll say I'm 90 percent sure he'll be a Hearts player by the end of the window."

Asked by Gordon Duncan if this was insider knowledge, he replied: "No, not at all. Why would Hearts sell him?

"Hearts can guarantee somewhere between £6-8m if they finish third. They're obviously in a pretty position. Roger [Hannah] just said there that no team is more reliant on somebody's goals. If that's the case, why would they sell him for less than the £3-4m that has been reported?

"If that is the fee, would Rangers pay it? I'm not too sure."

READ MORE: Lawrence Shankland Hearts cup absence addressed amid Rangers links

Meanwhile, it was 'a bad day to get a cold' for Lawrence Shankland at the weekend as the striker missed Hearts' Scottish Cup win over Spartans, insists Peter Grant.

But both the Celtic hero and former Rangers captain Barry Ferguson insist everyone must take Jambos boss Steven Naismith's word that the Scotland international was ill for the game.