Rising Hibs star poised for Watford move after rejecting new contract

EFL Championship club in ‘advance talks’ with Hibs as teenage forward Ethan Laidlaw prepares to team up with Ryan Porteous

Rising Hibs star Ethan Laidlaw is poised to join Ryan Porteous at Watford after turning down a new contract at Easter Road.

The 18-year-old forward revealed last week that he is set to leave Hibs after ten years at the club when his contract expires. Watford are reportedly in "advanced talks" with the Easter Road club over a compensation package.

According to The Athletic, the Scotland Under-19 international is set to agree a long-term deal at Vicarage Road. His contract expires at the end of May but the EFL Championship club will have to pay compensation, reported to be in the region of £250,000, as a development fee because the player is under the age of 21.

Ethan Laidlaw never made a first-team appearance for Hibs but is now poised to join Watford

Laidlaw was first included in the first-team squad at Hibs by Jack Ross at the age of 16 during the 2020/21 season but has not made a senior competitive appearance. He has been capped at under-17 and under-18 level and has previously attracted interest from Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool. The boyhood Hibs fan was a regular in the CAS Elite Under-18 League winning team last season and was an unused substitute in three first-team games this season.

The teenager appeared in four of the under-19s’ five UEFA Youth League matches, scoring a penalty in the first leg against Nantes of France that helped the wee Hibees qualify for the play-off round against Borussia Dortmund. He was interviewed by German media after the game.

Laidlaw will be reunited with former Hibs defender Porteous if the move to Vicarage Road goes ahead. The 24-year-old Scotland defender moved south in January.