“Definitely be able to compete” – Pete O’Rourke delivers thoughts as Sunderland, West Brom, Rangers and Celtic chase 23-year-old | OneFootball

Hibernian defender Ryan Porteous is attracting lots of interest ahead of the opening of the January transfer window.

As detailed in a report from the Daily Record, Luton Town, Millwall, Sheffield Wednesday and Stoke City are all interested in a move for the 23-year-old.

The Scottish outfit have recently confirmed that the defender will not be signing a fresh deal at Easter Road, meaning they will likely look to generate a fee for his services next month.

Celtic and Rangers have also expressed an interest in Porteous, whilst even more Championship clubs have set their sights on the young defender over the last week.

Sharing his thoughts on the defender’s situation and on whether or not Celtic and Rangers are leading this race, Pete O’Rourke told Football League World: “I think that Championship clubs definitely have a good chance of getting someone like Ryan Porteous.

“Some of the bigger clubs can compete with the likes of Celtic and Rangers on wages. Obviously, the appeal of moving to England is very strong for a lot of players in Scotland as well. It’s an opportunity to go to an ambitious Championship club and a team maybe fighting for promotion to the Premier League.

“That will be a big carrot for players moving from Scotland, to have the opportunity of maybe playing in the Premier League.

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“So, I’m sure if there’s a team’s fighting for promotion, and they’re interested in Porteus, they’ll definitely be able to compete with the likes of Celtic and Rangers.

“The fact that he’s out of contract in the summer as well will also increase their chances of landing him because he won’t be as expensive.”

The verdict

Porteous’ situation will be an interesting one to follow, as he will have lots of offers that he will need to carefully consider ahead of the opening of the January transfer window.

A player who is dominant both on the ground and in the air, he also meets the progressive criteria that is desired in modern-day defenders.

As O’Rourke alludes to, the Championship leads a direct path to the Premier League and that makes England’s second tier an exciting prospect for players north of the border.

Despite being set to lose him in the summer, Hibs may be able to generate somewhat of a decent price because of the level of competition that is there for his signature.