Lee Johnson insists he’s not worried about losing Josh Doig this summer with Serie A sides Bologna and Verona eyeing a swoop for the Hibs ace.
The £3million-rated left-back is a target for the Italian duo with interest south of the border too and Johnson accepts every player has their price. Bologna could make their move if Aaron Hickey’ s bumper move to Brentford goes through in the coming days. But Johnson isn’t losing sleep and while he’d love to hold onto the Scotland U21 star – who has four years left on his contract in Leith – having a replacement lined up is key. As is any bid matching their value.
The Hibs boss said: “It seems like there’s interest in Josh. I’m comfortable either way. I’d be comfortable with any player going out if we had another good one coming in. That’s what makes you feel comfortable. Sometimes there’s life changing money as we saw with Martin Boyle.
"Or it could be a different level of football or just a change. What we need to do is enjoy the people and the journey while we’re here. Whether that’s me as a manager making every decision like I’m here forever but knowing I could be gone tomorrow.
“Hopefully that brings success. He’s a talented young player and has come through the youth but at the same time every player has a price. We’ll just have to see with that one. I’m relaxed on it.
“I don’t like losing good young players but at the same time everyone has a price and you also have the player’s situation and whether they want to seek pastures new. Then we have to see if the offer is good enough for Hibs to accept – the powers that be, not me.”
Johnson has made nine signings since taking over at Easter Road seven weeks ago and is chasing another central defender with the season set to kick off for real tomorrow against Clyde in the Premier Sports Cup group stage. Striker Christian Doidge had been linked with a move to Dundee United. But Johnson insists the big Welshman is in his plans for the coming campaign.
He said: “There’s nothing there at my end concerning Christian. Not at this moment in time. Christian has two years left on his contract and is very in love with a lady who is completing a law degree in Scotland.
“There’s been a lot of interest in him from down south but he’s not keen to go. The key for Christian is consistency of availability. Last year he struggled a bit and he was really keen to get that pre-season.
“He is a great character and guy around the place. He has a record of scoring goals.
“It’s our job to maximise the boys, particularly Christian because his last season he was disappointed with the way it went with his body.”
Johnson is happy with the shape of his squad with three weeks still to go until the Premiership kick off. The new boys were bedded in during a week in the Portuguese sun where Johnson got his ideas across and fitness levels were topped up. However, the manager was coy over Kevin Nisbet’s timeframe for a return from a serious knee injury.
Johnson said: “We have to be careful with timescales. But best case scenario, he is in good shape and working very hard, we would be looking back end of October. It could be November.”
READ NEXT
