Though they have been mute for sometime now, Kumasi Asante Kotoko have not given up hopes of prising away Tawrick Jibril from arch rivals Accra Hearts of Oak.

Daily Guide Sports can authoritatively state that Kotoko officials and Tawrick’s manager Prince Omar have had productive talks a few days ago and indications are that the young prodigy might dump Hearts for Kotoko. “So far Kotoko and Tawrick’s manager have reached almost 90 percent on a permanent deal for the player to start playing for Kotoko next season,” a source at Kotoko disclosed.

Tawrick’s contract with Hearts is expected to end in August 2010, a source hinted, adding Hearts’ constant efforts to make the player extend his stay now seem fragile. The source said Kotoko and Tawrick’s manager have almost concluded talks on the figure that should change hands and it is now left with some petty aspects for both parties to put pen on paper.

Kotoko finished fifth in last season’s Glo Premier League to the chagrin of millions of red army supporters and therefore they want to win next season’s league to placate their angry fans.

Sources disclosed that the Kotoko Board of Directors, led by former TOR Boss Dr. K.K. Sarpong, wants to do everything possible including coughing out huge sums of money to bring Tawrick into the Porcupine family.

Apart from Tawrick, he said, Kotoko would also snatch some well known players into their fold in the coming season, in order to make the club fearsome both locally and internationally, once again.