Hearts transfer latest: Defiance over Toby Sibbick Blackpool bid as 'targets' pursued
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The Tynecastle club this week rejected a six-figure bid from EFL Championship side Blackpool for the in-form centre-back, who is contracted until 2025 after joining for an undisclosed fee from Barnsley a year ago.
With injuries to key men in defence, the 23-year-old has been one of Hearts’ best players this month, cementing his place after coming through a period of low confidence and form at the end of last year. Neilson does not want to sell.
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Hide Ad“He’s a very, very important player for us,” the Hearts manager told Sky Sports. “Any player we have at this football club who is at Toby’s level has a value and that value didn’t get matched, so he’ll stay here and I hope that’s at least until the end of the season because we need him.
“The whole process is about building a team. There’s no point bringing people in in the summer and then six months later flipping them for money we don’t believe they are valued at. We are building a team around key players and, at the moment, Toby is one of those key players.”
Hearts are still hoping to get a deal over the line to bring in utility man Callum Paterson from Sheffield Wednesday before the window closes on Tuesday, but have other options. Neilson added: “We’ve got a couple of targets and we’re pushing to get at least one of them in.”