£4k-a-week offer sealed Taouil deal for Hearts

HEARTS' financial muscle blew their rivals completely out of the water in the fight for Moroccan midfielder Mehdi Taouil, the Kilmarnock chairman Michael Johnston admitted today.

The 28-year-old rejected the offer of a three-year contract at Rugby Park plus advances from clubs in England and France to join the Edinburgh club.

According to Johnston, a salary of 4000-a-week proposed by Hearts left other clubs in the shade.

"Taouil has gone to Hearts for 4000-a-week. We were willing to give him a three-year contract but we simply couldn't come close to the wages Hearts were offering," said Johnston.

Taouil is delighted with the move after four years in Ayrshire and said the deciding factor was the chance to rejoin his former Kilmarnock management team.

"Jim Jefferies, Billy Brown and Gary Locke being here is a big factor in signing because I really enjoyed working with them in the past and they're the ones that brought me to Scotland," he said.

"It's also nice to know that I'll be playing with two of my former Kilmarnock team-mates again (Jamie Hamill and Kevin Kyle). Hearts is a big club, that's why I signed. Since being in Scotland, I have really liked the atmosphere at Tynecastle. I have been here often to see some friends playing for Hearts."

Taouil will head to Italy's Il Ciocco complex for Hearts' pre-season preparations later this month and is already anticipating which position he might occupy when the campaign begins. "I really prefer to play through the middle. Sometimes managers like to play me on the right and the left but I really love to play in the middle."