Derek McInnes has accepted Danny Armstrong will leave Kilmarnock

Derek McInnes insisted he has no issue with any club wishing to speak to Kilmarnock winger Danny Armstrong about a pre-contract amid reported interest from Hearts.

The 27-year-old’s deal expires at the end of this season and is not expected to sign a new one.

McInnes is resigned to the likelihood that the former Raith Rovers player will move on in the summer, but said he was not aware of any approach from the Tynecastle club.

“I’d heard that a few weeks ago myself,” the Killie boss said of Hearts’ recent link with Armstrong. “Someone privately had told me that.

“I speak to Danny’s agent regularly, and I speak to Danny regularly, so I think I would know if there had been contact.

“Certainly, if Hearts want to come through the door and let us know that it’s their intention to speak to Danny or whatever, then that’s fine, but they haven’t.

“I’m actually really relaxed with it, I’m fine with it. We put a huge effort in as a club to try to get Danny to sign an extension last year. It’s the same with all of our players who we see as good valuable assets.

“We’re not sleep-walking, watching our players going into the last year of their contract. Anybody who thinks that is on cloud cuckoo land.

“We’ve tried and tried. I was delighted with the offer the club put to Danny.

“He refused it, as is his right, and we’re alright about it. I have never questioned his commitment.

“He’s not quite been at the same level this season, but I thought last week against Aberdeen he was outstanding.

“It would be no surprise to me if clubs were looking at Danny. He’s not going to be a Kilmarnock player next season. We’ve accepted that.

“As far as I’m aware, and I think I’m close enough to Danny that I would know, and I believe him that there’s been no contact from Hearts or anybody.”

McInnes expects most of Killie’s January transfer business to be done towards the end of the month.

Asked if he anticipated having anybody signed in time for Thursday’s match at home to St Mirren, he said: “I don’t know. We’ll wait and see. It’s called the January window but the business doesn’t usually get done until the last two or three days because everybody’s hedging their bets and there’s a domino effect.

“It’s very rare that you’re able to make early signings in January unless you’re paying money, and we’re not going to be paying money.

“We’ll see how we are if we need to react quicker and we’ll try and be a wee bit more pressing with that (transfer activity) but I’d imagine we’ll be as we are heading into the St Mirren game.”