Hibs could face a fight to keep Ryan Porteous with Stoke City ready to make their move in the January transfer window, according to a report.
The Easter Road stopper is out of contract in the summer and could pen a pre-contract with the English Championship club or see out the season in Leith before leaving on a free. Alex Neil has had the Scotland international scouted extensively in the past few weeks and has been impressed with the results say the Daily Record.
Neil moved to the Bet365 Stadium earlier this year and is trying to put his stamp on the team as he bids to take them back to the riches of the English Premier League. They are believed to be one of a number of clubs keen on the stopper. Millwall hold a previous interest and have had bids booted out in the past while Luton Town and League One giants Sheffield Wednesday are all said to be aware and keen of the 23-year-old.
READ MORE: Lee Johnson apologises to Hibs support after 'nowhere near good enough' Ross County defeat
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Hibs have not given up hope of retaining Porteous beyond the summer and have tabled what the club described as a 'strong' contract offer. An agreement is yet to be reached with the centre-back previously stating he could potentially return to the table for talks during the World Cup break.
Porteous has been a key player for Lee Johnson this season and he won his first Scotland cap in a hugely impressive performance against Ukraine as Scotland sealed top spot in the Nations League section. That came with the added bonus of promotion to League A next time around, a guaranteed Euro play-off spot and a number two seeding in the recent draw.
Quizzed on the defender earlier this week, Johnson said:“Let’s get this game out of the way and then in the next press conference we can embrace those types of questions. I don’t know any more from two or three weeks ago, when it was parked. Then it will be ‘what are you doing?’ And it will be ‘I am or I’m not’.
“But at the moment he’s obviously playing and it’s not something you want to push while he’s playing.”
He added: “Three or four weeks ago, we were all hailing Ryan as a hero. This is part of being a footballer. Your form can go up and down and I think he’d say that off the ball his defending hasn’t been as good as it had been leading into that spell.
“He’s a very honest player. He can look at himself and be honest with that. Not everybody can and that’s a good sign; that’s why he’s an international player. But he deserves his call-up. A change is as good as a rest, in that sense, in terms of his focus being on Scotland and something different and he’ll be fine when he comes back to us.”
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