The club are considering an approach for the South African, who is out of contract with Kent at the end of the season.

Yorkshire are likely to face stiff competition for the talented 35-year-old, with Surrey already understood to have made an official approach.

Lancashire are also thought to be monitoring a player who has represented Kent as a Kolpak cricketer but who is set to become English-qualified at the end of the season.

Yorkshire's director of professional cricket Martyn Moxon admitted van Jaarsveld was someone he would be interested in signing.

But he stressed no firm decision had yet been made as the club look to plan for next summer and beyond.

"Martin van Jaarsveld is a very experienced player and someone we may be interested in having a chat to if he decides to leave Kent," said Moxon.

"At the same time, I'm sure we'd face a lot of competition if we did decide to go down that route and we'd have to weigh up whether we needed him or not.

"We've got some very talented young batsmen and are determined to give those lads as many chances as possible.

"If we do decide that those young lads need some help, then van Jaarsveld could potentially be an option."

Moxon described the situation as similar to Yorkshire's interest in Worcestershire's 23-year-old wicketkeeper Steve Davies.

"We've submitted an approach for Davies but that doesn't mean we're necessarily going to speak to him," added Moxon. "It means we're keeping our options open.

"If players of Davies's or van Jaarsveld's quality become available you've got to have a look at the situation."

Van Jaarsveld has a first-class average of 45 and has played nine Tests and 11 one-day internationals. He was the Professional Cricketers' Association's player of the year for 2008, scoring 1,150 Championship runs at 47.91.