Hibs left to mull over next move after Rangers throw out bid for Ross McCrorie

Rangers have rejected an opening bid from Hibs for 22-year-old Ross McCrorie.

The Easter Road club made an offer reported to be worth £200,000 plus additional clauses for the defensive midfielder on Tuesday afternoon and dialogue began over what fee the Ibrox club are looking for, but the two parties are some way apart on their valuation of the player.

The news comes as a blow to both Hibs head coach Jack Ross, who is a big admirer of McCrorie after trying to sign him last season, and the player himself, who wants to kick-start his career away from Govan. He is very keen to make the move across the M8 despite interest from other teams.

A defensive midfielder by trade but also able to play centre-half or right-back, McCrorie would further bolster a Hibs team that has started the season strongly but is in need of reinforcements, particularly after centre-half Adam Jackson departed for Lincoln City on Tuesday evening.

McCrorie has trained all summer with Rangers and has been part of the match-day squads, so would be able to hit the ground running at Hibs. He spent last season on loan at Portsmouth in England’s League One.

Hibs will now need to decide whether to increase their bid or admit defeat in their pursuit of the player. All parties concerned had hoped for swift negotiations to take place on Wednesday afternoon, but those expectations were quickly dashed when Rangers put forward their price for McCrorie.

Rangers manager Steven Gerrard also confirmed that Hibs and Rangers needed to find common ground on the deal. Speaking in the wake of the Gers’ 3-0 win over St Johnstone, Gerrard said: “We’ve had interest from Hibs in Ross. But the bids need to be big enough for the board to accept before I have a decision to make.”

The Ibrox manager also confirmed that Greg Docherty, who spent three months on loan at Hibs last season, is negotiating a contract with Hull City after the player was given permission to talk to the Tigers.