Dundee United and Hearts are facing a third off-field battle – over coaches Lee McCulloch and Gordon Forrest.
Arabs sporting director Tony Asghar has the Tannadice backroom pair on his shortlist to take over from Robbie Neilson.
But the new Tynecastle boss wants McCulloch and Forrest as part of his new-look coaching team.
It’s the latest in a series of off-field battles since Hearts went to the Court of Session to try to reverse United’s promotion before the Jambos nicked Neilson from the Tayside club.
Current United assistant McCulloch and first-team coach Forrest are highly-rated at Tannadice with United chiefs considering handing them the top job.
McCulloch has previously had Premiership management experience at Kilmarnock. It didn’t go the way he had hoped but he was responsible for signing the core of that successful Killie side, including Eamonn Brophy, Stephen O’Donnell, Kirk Broadfoot, Stuart Findlay, Chris Burke and Alan Power.
Former Rangers and Scotland star McCulloch has since rebuilt his reputation at United, while Forrest also has a wealth of coaching experience in Major League Soccer, where he was assistant manager at Vancouver Whitecaps.
Both men have been putting the first team through their pre-season paces this week.
Dundee United have been flooded with applications and Asghar is working through them before he puts a shortlist forward to his board and owner Mark Ogren.
The Tannadice club have a number of targets and they hope to make an appointment within a week.
Former manager Craig Levein has thrown his hat into the ring while ex-St Johnstone boss Tommy Wright has been top of the bookies list but neither is under serious consideration. German Jens Lehmann has applied for the job but he looks to be a non-runner.
The former Arsenal keeper has been an assistant coach with the Gunners and Augsburg.
United, Raith Rovers and Cove Rangers are due to send back their response today, as is the SPFL, to the legal paperwork served on them from Hearts and Partick Thistle via the Court of Session today.
Meanwhile, US midfielder Ian Harkes’ new contract until 2022 was confirmed last night. Harkes said: “I'm delighted to continue my time with the club.
“I feel like I've progressed as a player since arriving in Scotland. Coming across from the States I wanted to get games and a run of form which the team has helped me to do that.”
