Lee Johnson speaks on Hibs recruitment, Rocky Bushiri 'valuation', results, and preparing for Rangers game

Lee Johnson is in a jocular mood at the Hibs training centre as he previews Thursday night’s trip to face Rangers at Ibrox, belying a run of form that has made the return to cinch Premiership action that bit more daunting.

Preparations have not been derailed by rumours linking defender Ryan Porteous with a move to the Light Blues. The 23-year-old’s contract at Easter Road expires in the summer of 2023 and he has already turned down a bumper new deal with his boyhood club and could well depart in January, with plenty of clubs in England and abroad keeping tabs on the situation.

Johnson has an idea of what sort of fee he feels would be acceptable for the Scotland internationalist but while he is effusive in his praise for the player, he warns that Porteous still has a lot of room for improvement. Not that that should affect any offers, however.

“Ryan has bags of potential but in the past my teams have sold Lloyd Kelly (Bristol City to Bournemouth) for £17.5 million rising to £22m; Adam Webster (Bristol City to Brighton) for £20m rising to £25m, and £3.5m for Marc Roberts (Barnsley to Birmingham) after he signed on a free, and £5.5m for Alfie Mawson from Barnsley (to Swansea) who we signed for £60,000,” Johnson explains.

Hibs manager Lee Johnson previewed his side's trip to Ibrox to face Rangers on Thursday

“So I have a lot of experience with this type of player. Ryan is right up there with Webster, Kelly, and Mawson in terms of his age and potential. They all had flaws in their game. Aden Flint was sweeping the roads and two years later he was playing for Bristol City after a stint at Swindon and sold for £7m. We all laughed when I said that about £10m for Rocky Bushiri but if he fulfils his potential in a Championship side, then that’s how much you’re paying for him – minimum. Why can’t that happen in Scotland? I like Rocky. I think he’s a top player and he’s going to improve.”

On a related note, Johnson has previously spoken about finance, especially with reference to January. He has already confirmed that next month will be more about those who leave, than those who arrive – and he is hopeful of both, but wants to see any funds raised going back into the club.

“For me as a manager playing the long game, it doesn’t have to be spent on a direct replacement. It may be other areas of the team and the squad, it could be facilities like our pitches – because what’s the cost of injuries picked up on boggy pitches in financial terms? I always want to cut up the pot in ways I see fit, although it’s not only my decision where the finances go. I believe it has to be for the good of the club, whether that is the academy, equipment, or a star striker. You just try to do the best with the available funds,” Johnson continues.

And what of recruitment? Hibs brought in plenty of players during the summer and while some have impressed so far, others have taken longer to settle into a new country, a new team, perhaps living away from home for the first time.

Ryan Porteous has been linked with Thursday night's opponents Rangers

“Ron Gordon has invested good money and there has been an increase in the budget. Some of the recruitment we have got right, and some we have got wrong,” Johnson says, matter-of-factly.

"I do think we need to improve in that area. You can talk about the foreign players coming over, making sure they settle quickly. How did we do? We’ve got some good examples of us doing really well and some good examples of us not doing so well. So we look at the recruitment, where we put the money: regional scouts, information-gathering, psychological profiling… all these things cost money to be able to nail them but Rome wasn’t built in a day and budgets were already allocated when I came in – for all departments,” he reveals.

Many supporters are only focused on on-field progress. Hibs are undoubtedly moving in the right direction off the park in a number of areas but the recent run of form, huge player turnover, and a revolving door of managers in the last 12-14 months has left a not insignificant portion of the fanbase concerned with the direction the club is taking on the park. But Johnson appears to be in it for the long run, and comfortable with what he repeatedly stresses is a lengthy process.

"If the first team benefits, then it becomes more successful, which drives the club. That is the challenge. It’s a big challenge and it’s exciting one for me. People say, ‘concentrate on results’. Well we do, and they haven’t been good enough,” he states.

Rocky Bushiri has impressed for Hibs at the back so far this season

“I’m not shying away from that. But I do believe that results are a by-product of getting all these various parts of the organisation in tip-top shape. We know where we are; this is part of a long journey. We’re one win off fourth and a couple more off third so there is still a lot to play for.

"We haven’t written anything off and, by the way, we haven’t lost the next four games either. I think that has to be made clear to some people. We haven’t won all the games we feel we should have but that doesn’t mean we can’t put in good performances and pick up points over the next set of games. Absolutely, we can. But this is an evolving process and we have got a lot of things wrong over a number of years,” he claims.

"It doesn’t change our plan for the next two years to make sure we’re competing at the top end of the table on a more regular basis. I think it’s possible given the quality we’ve got coming through the ranks, a decent-enough budget, and the time to do it.”