This article is part of Football FanCast's Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news...

According to The Daily Record, Crystal Palace Sporting Director Dougie Freedman intends to get back into football management and has thrown his name in the ring to succeed Craig Levein at Hearts.

What's the word, then?

Well, Freedman - who scored 55 goals for the Eagles - hasn't managed since being sacked by Nottingham Forest in 2016, following a 13-month period in charge - he won just 19 of his 57 games in charge.

Shortly over a year after his departure from Forest, Palace chairman Steve Parish appointed Freedman as Sporting Director at Selhurst Park, and the Scotsman has made some strange signings in the time since his arrival.

Freedman has overseen the £9m signing of Alexander Sorloth in January 2018 - a man who scored just once in 20 games for Palace - as well as the mysterious captures of duo Erdal Rakip and Jaroslaw Jach in the same window, both of whom have never appeared for the first-team.

The former Bolton manager has, however, made some decent signings such as Vicente Guaita and Gary Cahill on free transfers.

Transfer shakeup for Palace?

Where does this news leave the south Londoners?

Freedman had reportedly travelled to Hearts already this season to watch Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos score in a 1-1 draw at Tynecastle ahead of a January move for the Colombian, so with the Scotsman so heavily involved in the Eagles' winter recruitment plans, one can only wonder where this leaves Parish going into January.

It remains to be seen if Parish allows Freedman to take the job - a role that the Sporting Director is reportedly keen on and was hot favourite for before stepping into his current position at Palace.

If Parish does give Freedman his blessing, one can only speculate over what the Eagles will do.

Would a replacement be appointed immediately? Will Parish go into the crucial January window without a Sporting Director?

The Athletic's Dominic Fifield recently revealed that 'encouraging noises' have been made over three potential additions this winter, and with Freedman presumably involved in setting those up, you must wonder how these proposed deals will pan out if Hearts make him their new manager.