RYAN PORTEOUS is set to leave Hibs in the summer after turning down a "highly-improved" new deal from the club.
The Easter Road side announced Porteous would not sign a new deal to stay with the club after rejecting a contract extension.
The centre-back, 23, recently made his first Scotland appearance and has been an integral player for Hibs in recent seasons.
Lee Johnson previously claimed Hibs could "nearly" compete financially with other clubs and admitted Porteous was perhaps not "bumped up" in wage to match his importance to the team.
Now, Porteous will be free to discuss a pre-contract move from January.
Hibs manager Johnson previously commented of interest over a January move: "It's something that is inevitable, and if it's not then these clubs and scouts aren't doing their jobs properly.
"There's no doubt that a lot of these clubs will have looked at him.
"Whether we can compete financially with other clubs, I think we can nearly."
A club statement confirming Porteous would not sign extended terms read: "Hibernian FC can confirm that Ryan Porteous will not sign a new contract with the Club.
"The 23 year-old defender, whose current contract ends in the summer of 2023, has turned down a highly-improved new deal to extend his stay with Hibs.
"The Edinburgh-born centre-back joined Hibernian as a teenager and made his full debut in July 2017.
"He would go on to make 10 senior appearances that season and also captained Hibernian Under-18s to victory in the Scottish Youth Cup Final.
"Since then, he has made over 150 First Team appearances for the Hibees, scoring 12 goals.
"Porteous was an important player in the Hibs side that finished third in the cinch Premiership in the 2020/21 season and has been part of Lee Johnson’s leadership team in the 2022/23 campaign.
"He represented his country at youth level before making his senior Scotland debut in 2022 – playing a key role in a crucial draw with Ukraine in the UEFA Nations League."
