Reported Sunderland transfer target Ryan Porteous has hinted that he could leave the Scottish Premiership when he departs Hibernian - leaving the door open for a potential move to Wearside. The Black Cats have been linked with the defender in recent days, with Porteous out of contract at the end of the season and with Hibs boss - and former Sunderland head coach - Lee Johnson saying that his club will listen to offers for the 23-year-old in January.
Sunderland are just one of a number of Championship sides said to be keen on the Scotland international, with Norwich City, Stoke City, and West Brom, believed to have shown interest. And now Porteous has said that he is open to moving to a different league.
"I do like the idea of moving to a different league and testing myself there," he told Sky Sports. "I think there's a lot of boys that have left Scottish football that have went down and flourished whether that be down south or abroad."
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Glasgow Rangers have also been credited with interest in him, but he hinted that he would prefer to move out of the SPL. He said: "I do really like the idea of moving to a different league and challenging myself,
"It [a move to Rangers] wouldn't go down too well, so we'll see."
Porteous has turned down a new contract with Hibs, which has left the Edinburgh club with a decision to make over his future given that he can leave for no fee at the end of the season. "It was a very difficult one, something that I didn't take lightly and didn't make fast,," said Porteous of his decision to reject a new deal.
"I've been here for a long time, I felt like I'm progressing very well as a player and maybe it comes to that stage in everyone's career where you need to be taken out of your comfort zone, see a new challenge, take that in your stride and see how good you can become as a player. I've never been unhappy or unsettled here.
"It's never nice to see fans turn on you a little bit but that's football. I understand that, I'm a fan as well and if a player that's been playing regularly in the last few years was potentially leaving for free then it's never going to be nice but that's the situation we're in at the end of the day."
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