KEV & RY STAY
Jack Ross benched transfer targets Kevin Nisbet and Ryan Por teous but is conf ident they will still be at Hibs when the transfer window closes.
The Easter Road outfit have turned down multi-million bids from Birmingham City for Nisbet and from Millwall for Porteous.
Ross, who wanted to take them out of the spotlight for
SWOOP the 2-0 win at Dundee United, claimed accepting the bids so late in the window would cause a headache.
He said: “I would expect them to be with me on Monday. That’s where I think it’s at. As I said, things can change very quickly.
“They are sensible valuations and respectful.
“The club has its valuation and is conscious of where we’re trying to get to and how that affects it, particularly so late on in a window.”
Ross felt that it was better to give the pair some breathing space after days of intense speculation.
He said: “It has been an unusual couple of days for them to be the subject of concrete interest and the amount of attention that goes with that. I felt it was a judgement call. They were both OK and it’s my job as manager to judge that.”
After signing Sam Cosgrove from Aberdeen, Birmingham boss Aitor Karanka is hoping he can also persuade Nisbet to join before the deadline.
He said: “He is a player we like. He is big and powerful which is something we are missing. Several other clubs are interested so it is going to be down to the player himself where he decides to move.”