Rangers’ pursuit of Hibernian defender Ryan Porteous has been ‘blown out of control’ of late, according to journalist Dean Jones.
The Gers are reportedly eager to bring the highly-rated 23-year-old to Ibrox but Jones believes that talk of an imminent move may be jumping the gun at this moment in time.
Rangers transfer news – Ryan Porteous
Porteous’ current contract with Hibs is due to expire next summer, and his manager Lee Johnson has recently admitted that he’s not going to put pen to paper on fresh terms.
“The fact is, and I’m probably better off just coming out with it, he ain’t signing a new contract,” Johnson revealed.
“At the end of the day, we’ve offered a fantastic contract, a really big one for the football club and in my eyes a contract that should have been offered two-and-a-half years earlier for a player of that quality.”
Clyde boss Jim Duffy has claimed that he’s heard “through the grapevine” that Porteous is heading to Rangers in January despite Celtic also showing interest.
However, The Times have since disclosed that Hibernian have received ‘no approach’ from Michael Beale’s charges for the 6 foot 2 centre-back.
What has Jones said about Porteous?
Jones reckons that although Porteous has been ‘on the radar’ of Rangers, there is still ‘some ironing out to do’ before he can be considered a genuine transfer target.
Read more: January Transfer Window 2023: When Does It Begin, Rumours and Everything You Need To Know
In an interview with GiveMeSport, he said: “It feels like this got blown out of control a little bit in recent times, as people are playing down the prospect of an imminent move.
“Clearly, it has been one on the radar, but I still feel there might be some ironing out to do.”
Would Porteous be a good signing?
Porteous has established himself as a key cog for Hibernian after rising through the ranks of his boyhood club, registering 12 goals and eight assists in 151 appearances across all competitions.
As per WhoScored, the Scotland international has won 3.2 aerial duels while making 1.3 tackles, 0.8 interceptions, 3.6 clearances, and 0.4 blocks per league game this season, placing him in the top four for each metric amongst his teammates.
Rangers have had severe injury problems at the heart of defence throughout 2022/23, with John Souttar, Connor Goldson and Filip Helander all currently sidelined.
Therefore, Porteous could be a valuable addition to Beale’s options in central defence, yet it remains to be seen if he is actually a player of interest to Rangers.
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