Scottish Premier League title-chasers Hearts have emerged as the front-runners to sign Kenny Miller when he takes his expected leave of the West Midlands.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have confirmed that contract talks have broken down with their most highly-regarded striker.

The only decision to be made at Molineux is whether to keep the 24-times capped Scotland international until his deal runs out on June 30 or take a cut-price cash offer when the transfer window opens in January.

"We've made him a fabulous offer," Wolves manager Glenn Hoddle said. "But Kenny has made it clear that he won't be signing the contract we have offered him.

"He says he wants to keep his options open, so we have to live with that. We can't force him to sign and we feel we've done all we can."

Given the money likely to be offered by Hearts' Lithuanian owner Vladimir Romanov, that makes a move to Tynecastle Park the most likely option.

Rangers, from whom Miller joined Wolves for £3 million four years ago today, are also believed to be interested parties, now that he has recovered from six weeks out with hamstring trouble. But a return to his home town of Edinburgh, where Miller started his career for Hibernian ten seasons ago, appears the favourite.

Apart from Miller preferring a return to Edinburgh for personal reasons, Romanov has already revealed his interest.

Although there is a still a vacancy at Tynecastle for a director of football to work with coach Graham Rix, Romanov is the man who not only holds the purse-strings but dictates how the money should be spent.

He wants more home-bred players to add to the four - goalkeeper Craig Gordon, defenders Steven Pressley and Andy Webster and midfielder Paul Hartley - Hearts have in the national team.

Miller's departure from Molineux has looked on the cards from the moment that he failed to agree a new contract last summer.

With only a year remaining on his contract, Wolves even turned down a £ 1 . 2 million summer approach from Sunderland, confident that Miller would be the man to fire his team to promotion.

Although he started the current season in form, he has scored as many goals for Scotland as he has in the Championship for Wolves - a mere four.

That run of goals for his country has perhaps served only to increase his market value north of the border, rather than in England. After three improved offers, Wolves believe they have stretched as far as they can to meet Miller's financial demands.

But Hoddle also warned that, having shown their hand by turning down the seven-figure offer last summer, Wolves once again will not be forced into selling on the cheap.

"Nobody has been on the phone," he said.

"If they do, they will have to pay decent money or he will stay to the end of the season."

While Miller awaits confirmation of his departure date, Wolves are stepping up their efforts to bring in replacements.

Two separate bids in excess of seven figures have so far failed to persuade League One outfit M K Dons to part with Izale Mcleod.

"We will keep talking to the club but Glenn feels we have reached the level we should be paying for this player ," chief executive Jez Moxey said.

That has forced Hoddle to look elsewhere. Next on his list, and the subject of a £250,000 Wolves bid, is Walsall-born former Saddlers trainee Karl Hawley, who is banging in the goals at League Two Carlisle United.

Hawley scored 13 goals in helping Carlisle back into the Football League last May.

The 24-year-old striker has been in even sharper form this season. He has scored 15 goals, of which 11 have come in the last two months, including two hat-tricks, one against a Stockport County side for whom on-loan Wolves man Carl Ikeme was in goal.