Ayr United face a fight to keep Scott Brown after St Johnstone made a move to poach the Somerset boss.
The Perth side are on the hunt for a new manager after sacking Craig Levein and have put Brown at the top of their wanted list.
New Saints owner Adam Webb is keen to move quickly on a replacement and the McDiarmid Park men have requested official permission to speak with Brown over the vacancy.
The Ayrshire Post understands no talks have taken place as yet, although Ayr face a battle to ward off the interest with Brown’s managerial stock on the rise. He has guided Ayr to the top of the Championship following a flying start to the campaign.
Ayr are unbeaten in the league so far this season, with Brown making a massive impact on Somerset since his arrival in January this year. He has overseen a huge turnaround in the playing squad this summer, bringing in a host of ambitious signings with a view to challenging for the title.
Saints are keen to see if Brown would be a good fit for their new project and have also considered Larne boss Tiernan Lynch and Aberdeen coach Peter Leven.