It has been an open secret that Hearts have had McGhee high on their wish list for a long time and now they have officially made their move. However although we have rejected their approach, there is little we can do should McGhee decides he wants to leave. His recent comments in the media suggest he would be very open minded about a move to Tynecastle and it is unlikely he will be pleased at being forbidden to meet with Hearts.
Of course should informal discussion take place - if they haven't already done so - there is nothing to stop McGhee simply resigning his position with us and taking up a better offer at Tynecastle or elsewhere. A contract protects the club and individual in terms of compensation should either terminate the agreement but can do absolutely nothing to prevent a parting of ways should one party find it desirable.
McGhee himself has a history of jumping ship to bigger clubs but he has said in the past this has proven to be a mistake. Whether he would consider the circus at Tynecastle as a safe job remains to be seen but the amount of wages Vladimir Romanov could throw at him will surely make the decision a lot easier to make. It is up to John Boyle and the Motherwell board to persuade him that, in the short term at least, we are a better option than the Edinburgh club. That will not be impossible but it would require a significant personal investment from Boyle himself - a route which would need to be travelled with caution after our previous experiences.