Loic Damour has become the first Hearts star to confirm he would explore his options elsewhere if the Jambos relegation is confirmed.
The Tynecastle side appear doomed to start next season in the Championship after talks over league reconstruction were kiboshed.
Former Cardiff City midfielder Damour is under contract until 2023 after penning a bumper four-year deal with Hearts when he Craig Levein tempted him away from Cardiff.
But the former France Under 20s international will weigh up his options if Hearts do go down.
He said: "The league has not yet been officially stopped, but it will be I think. We are waiting on a decision regarding relegation.
"They were talking about reconstruction of the league and if it moved to 14 teams it would be to our advantage, but the other scenario is us being relegated because we are last.
"Of course it will be less interesting for me if we go down. I'm not going to make a hasty decision since I still have three years of contract to run and today I know how difficult it is to get a contract.
"I have a family to consider, so I won't make a stupid, hasty decision. I will go back to Hearts and discuss things with the club, see what is going on and how they see things.
"I have not had any direct contact with other clubs. It seems premature given all that is happening at the moment. We will see what the future holds for me.
"There is no rush, but it is clear that going down could change a lot of things.
"When you sign for four years at a club, you think to yourself that you are going to love it, but that's the charm of football - you have to accept the positives and the negatives.
"I'm used to it. It's the vagaries of football. But I certainly didn't expect this at Hearts. It wasn't in my plans."
And the 29-year-old, in an interview in his homeland, admitted he signed for Hearts because they made him an offer he couldn't turn down.
He said: "Hearts showed great interest in me and offered me a contract I couldn't refuse when I was 28. Hearts are a very big club in Scotland. For me and my family, it was hard to say no.
"I had other possibilities, but Hearts really wanted me and offered me a four-year contract.
"Edinburgh is a very beautiful city. Hearts had very big ambitions at the start of the season, but ultimately it was completely the opposite.
"I thought I would arrive and enjoy the project, but it has been a negative season. I had trouble getting in the team. I thought it would get easier, but I was surprised because it's a different league from England. It's much more physical.
"I would say though that from December, it was much better and I was starting to feel really good just before the break. It's a shame the results were not more positive. It took time for me to adapt to the Scottish league because you have no time on the ball."
