Hearts have approached Motherwell to seek permission to speak to manager Mark McGhee.
The Edinburgh club made their move on Friday, following the end of the Clydesdale Bank Premier League season.
McGhee steered Motherwell to third place and UEFA Cup qualification in his first year at Fir Park, while Hearts finished in eighth.
In a club statement, Hearts said: "Heart of Midlothian Football Club announces today that it has approached Motherwell Football Club to seek permission to speak to Mark McGhee about the managerial position at Tynecastle."
A Hearts spokesperson told his club's official website: "We have requested permission from Motherwell to speak to their manager about the possibility of him becoming the new manager of Hearts."
The approach from Hearts came as no great surprise, with their interest in McGhee having been well known.
Motherwell did not make an immediate public response, and senior club officials were unavailable for comment on Friday afternoon.
McGhee had claimed on Thursday night he would need to think "long and hard" about turning his back on Motherwell as speculation over his future mounted.
After his side's impressive 2-0 win at Hibernian, he insisted he had no plans to leave Fir Park and had not spoken with Hearts.
McGhee said: "I will be here until something changes and that will require another club, if that's what's going to happen, to speak to Motherwell.
"And then there will still be a lot of discussion because we have reached Europe. I'm looking forward to that at the moment.
"I have got no plans but other people might be making plans so we will just have to wait and see.
"If someone does come in for me I am going to have to really think long and hard about it.
"I have moved before and it has ended up not being the right thing. So I will think twice about anything we do."
McGhee could expect a huge pay rise by taking the Hearts job, however he would be eager to ensure he has control over team issues, with no intervention in selection or tactics from owner Vladimir Romanov.
With such assurances the job might appeal to the former Celtic striker, who turns 51 on Sunday.
However, by joining Hearts, McGhee would be missing out on the chance to be involved in European competition for the first time.
If he could maintain Motherwell's success next season there could be the prospect of bigger jobs on the horizon.
McGhee had spells as a manager in England with Reading, Leicester, Wolves, Brighton and Millwall before accepting the Motherwell job in June last year.
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