Porteous to leave Hibs as he rejects new contract

HIBS have confirmed that Ryan Porteous will not be signing a new deal with the club, with manager Lee Johnson insisting the defender could be moved on in January.

Easter Road chiefs have held talks with the 23-year-old and his representatives over recent months and are believed to have offered the Scotland international one of the most lucrative contracts in the club’s history. But Porteous (below), whose current deal runs out at the end of this season, has decided his future lies elsewhere.

Speaking after Hibs’ home friendly against Middlesbrough, which ended in a 2-0 victory for the visitors, Johnson said: ‘Ryan isn’t signing a new contract. We’ve offered a fantastic contract and, in my eyes, a contract that should have been offered twoand-a-half years earlier for a player of that quality. We can’t do any more in terms of what we’ve done, but he’s good, high profile and he is a young player on a free.’

Johnson will continue to play Porteous, who made his Hibs debut in 2017, when the Premiership resumes next month. The manager suggested the centre-back could leave for a fee during the January transfer window so that the club doesn’t lose him for nothing.

Johnson said: ‘He turned down the best contract we could offer and is seeking pastures new.

‘I think potentially a January sale would be the best idea if we realise the fee, because at that point you can reinvest the money back into the club.

‘We do need to put that money back in.’