The 24-year-old Portuguese defender is out of contract next summer and has revealed he will let his current deal expire to further his career elsewhere following almost four years in Edinburgh.

It is a huge blow for Csaba Laszlo, the Hearts manager, given that Goncalves has been in impressive form since returning from a loan spell in Germany at FC Nuremberg last term. While Hearts have been struggling to find the net, Goncalves and Ismael Bouzid have impressed at the centre of defence to help keep three clean sheets in the club’s last four matches.

Teams in England and on the continent are thought to be monitoring the situation and Hearts could opt to sell him during January’s transfer window if a suitable offer is received.

Regardless of his consistent form, Goncalves’ admission so early in the season will not have impressed the Hearts hierarchy. Former defender Andy Webster was famously frozen out for the latter part of the 2005/6 term after refusing to extend his contract at Tynecastle, eventually using a loophole in a Fifa-adopted EU law to leave.

“If I get the chance to go to another team in another country I will be happy,” said Goncalves, who has been offered an extension for less money that the £10,000 a week he currently takes home.

“I hope the people here will understand my reasons for going. I’ve had four great years at Hearts and now I think it’s the time to go to get new motivation. Four years is a long time at any club. They have given me everything here and I learned a lot of good stuff.

“I hope that I will go with my head held high. I hope ­people will remember me for all the positive stuff I did.”

Across the city, John Hughes, the Hibernian manager, has told his players that they must deal with being seen as a Clydesdale Bank Premier League “scalp” if they are to continue challenging the Old Firm at the top of the league.

Hughes has been thrilled with the way his side have ­responded to his new regime and lie in third spot after a run of seven matches unbeaten.

“Because we are riding so high we are becoming a scalp,” said ­Hughes. “We have to be prepared for that and have to be patient in games. But if somebody said ‘there’s another 21 points for the next quarter’ I would shake their hand right away. I don’t know where that would take us but I would like to think it would be up around second or third.

“I think if we keep our feet firmly on the ground and keep working very, very hard, and not rest on our laurels, we could do quite well in this quarter. We have set the standard, we’ve set the bar, and now we need to say ‘c’mon then’.”