Lee McCulloch is reportedly set to join Hearts after "walking out" on his Dundee United deal.
McCulloch was Neilson's assistant at Tannadice and now the pair look set to link up at Tynecastle, according to the Daily Record.
The former Rangers and Scotland star, who also previously worked as Kilmarnock boss, is said to have departed the newly-promoted side on Monday evening, paving the way for a move to Gorgie.
It is also reported that United coach Gordon Forrest could also join Neilson at Hearts after Micky Mellon was unveiled as new Tangerines boss this week.
Neilson has already said he’d be able to bring in additional bodies and add to his coaching staff if he wanted to – but did appear positive about the staff currently working at Hearts.
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After returning to the club, he said: “I’ve got a good coaching staff at the moment at Hearts.
“I’ve a number of coaches so I’ll need to assess them before I make a decision on whether to bring people in or not.
“I don’t want to speak about employees at other clubs. I had a great relationship with everyone up there but I’m focused on the guys we’ve got at Hearts.
“It’s up to me what I want to do.”
