Hibs boss Lee Johnson gives update on Ryan Porteous contract situation

Lee Johnson has confirmed that Hibs have offered Ryan Porteous a new contract, with the defender now into the last 12 months of his existing deal.

The 23-year-old is one of the Easter Road side’s top performers and has reportedly attracted interest from Belgium, England, and Turkey for his displays in green and white over the last season and a half.

Speaking to Sky Sports Scotland on Monday, Johnson gave an update on the situation with the former Scotland Under-21 cap.

"Every squad has moving parts to it and Ryan is a great player,” the Hibs boss said.

"We'd love to keep him but at the same time it's his prerogative in terms of that contract offer. At the moment he hasn't signed it, but we're forever hopeful."

Johnson also revealed that while he would be happy to go into the season with the squad at his disposal, he had his eye on further incomings.

"I think I'd be happy to go into the season with what we've got but ideally I'd like another two more, and if it was one and the right position, that would be okay,” he added.

Ryan Porteous takes part in training at the Hibernian Training Centre

Praising the size of the club’s recruitment department – ‘it’s vast, which I think is unusual for a club this size’ – Johnson insisted work was ongoing to identify targets and that his knowledge, combined with that of joint-assistant managers Jamie McAllister and Adam Owen, ensured Hibs were covered in a lot of areas.

"We get the budget from the owner [Ron Gordon] and naturally it's [CEO] Ben Kensell’s job to control it, in conjunction with myself and Ian Gordon the head of recruitment,” he continued.

"All the player ID and the final say comes from me but of course, it’s got to fit in with the financial parameters of the club.

"There's a lot of good work going on here. We have a lot of information coming in regularly on potential options and the availability of players, coupled with the fact myself and my staff have got a good knowledge of MLS, the English leagues, and Jamie [McAllister, Hibs assistant boss] played in Scotland and has good contacts so our coverage of world recruitment is pretty good at the moment."