A big trouble is looming for Ghanaian giants Hearts of Oak as star players Thomas Abbey, Vincent Atingah and Kwame Kizito are among EIGHT players whose contracts have expired and are set to quit the club on a free transfer, GHANAsoccernet.com, understands.
The crisis-laden team, that is already licking its wounds from a bad trophy-less campaign, have not paid their players for the past three month as financial problems mount they have been unable to negotiate new contracts with the players.
The owner of the club Togbe Afede, thought to be one of the richest men in Ghana, is already reeling under pressure from previous management members of the club to relinquish his hold of the club as he has not been able to fork out the money needed to retain and attract the best players.
Now it has emerged that Togbe Afede has been unable to negotiate contract extensions with Abbey, Atinga and Kizito who excelled in the recent Wafu Cup of Nations paving the way for them to leave the club for free.
Several clubs both home and abroad including their arch rivals Kotoko are ready to pounce to capture these players on a free transfer and further anger and alienate supporters of the club who are unhappy over Togbe's ownership of the club which has so far proven to be disastrous.
Since the traditional ruler took over the club he has sidelined management members who help the club's in its glory days and brought in some inexperienced hands.
Hearts of Oak have not won the title since Togbe took over about nine years ago and the likely departure of the said players will damage the club's hopes of revival and continue the culture of bad quality of players signed in the off-season.
The Phobians are not trying to tie down the trio, whose contracts expired at the end of the season.
Failure to agree new deals mean the three players will be free to talk to other clubs - and Hearts would be powerless to stop them from leaving.
Kotoko remain interested in securing Abbey with GHANAsoccernet.com sources saying he has turned down Hearts' latest offer.
Abbey notched 14 goals to emerge the club's hottest player at the end of the season.
A number of clubs are keeping tabs on Vincent Atingah and Kwame Kizito's situation as progress on separate agreement appears slow.
The three players are unwilling to put pen to paper, meaning Hearts face a galling dilemma, try to convince them to sign a fresh deal or risk losing them for free.
Hearts finished the season trophyless after losing the FA Cup title to sworn rivals Asante Kotoko.
They also finished third in the Ghana Premier League in the 2016/17 season.