Hearts chief Ann Budge has admitted her pursuit of new manager Daniel Stendel has been "tortuous" after his former club demanded compensation.
Stendel was sacked by Barnsley two months ago and has since verbally agreed to take over from Craig Levein at Tynecastle.
However, The Tykes have outlined to Hearts that the German manager remains under contract at Barnsley on gardening leave.
This has forced Hearts to delay their announcement of Stendel as their new man in charge.
And Budge insists the process has been tough.
"I can’t add anything to what has already been in the media," Budge told Forth Radio.
"It’s just a tortuous process, to be frank. I am trying to ensure all of the various contractual sides are tied up.
"This is partly due to the situation when he [Stendel] left Barnsley.
"It’s not so much about personal terms. It’s that we need to make sure we are doing things properly."
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