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THE Edinburgh business consortium putting together a bid to buy out Hearts majority shareholder Vladimir Romanov today called for an urgent meeting with Tynecastle officials to discuss their proposals for the club.

The Evening News revealed yesterday that the group, thought to be spearheaded by Capital-based businessman Pat Munro, are planning an audacious bid for the Gorgie club.

Vladimir Romanov's spokesman Charlie Mann yesterday insisted that any approach to take over the club would not even be considered by the Lithuanian banker.

But the Edinburgh consortium believe that they can convince him to hand over control.

A source close to the group said: "We want to meet with Campbell Ogilvie or Charlie Mann on Monday or Tuesday to discuss our plans.

"We know that Mr Romanov yesterday said that any bid would be rebuffed and we were hoping for a more favourable response.

"But we are currently looking at our offer and we are keen to meet face-to-face to see if we can take this further. We will wait until after the Rangers game and then make moves to find out if we can move the bid further forward.

"We think that it is time for change."

It is believed that it would take around £30million to convince Romanov to relinquish control of the Tynecastle club and the consortium are said to be considering a proposal where the Lithuanian could retain some involvement with Hearts.

However, speaking at the club's Riccarton training academy yesterday in response to the Evening News story, Mann insisted that Romanov was determined to see out his Hearts project and that he would not welcome any approach from the consortium.

He said: "Mr Romanov has not heard of the offer, as far as we are concerned, he has not received any offer. It wouldn't be welcomed because he has no interest in selling the club.

"There is no concept of him walking away from Hearts, he is committed to making a success of the whole project.

"He is not going to be deflected from his goal."

The club yesterday failed to provide anyone from their backroom staff for their pre-match press conference for the game against Rangers tomorrow and refused to confirm whether Steven Pressley had been stripped of his captaincy in the wake of his refusal to play against Falkirk in the SPL last Monday night.

Pressley is available for selection but the signs look ominous for him as far as the skipper's armband is concerned as Christophe Berra has replaced him in tomorrow's match programme in a column usually reserved for the captain's comments.

Taken from the Scotsman