Josh Doig is a target for Arsenal and West Ham United but the Premier League sides are asking Hibernian to halve their asking-price for the highly-rated left-back, as reported by the Evening Standard.
While Doig has attempted to distance himself from transfer talk during a summer chock-full of speculation, that has not stopped countless clubs south of the border looking to secure a deal for one of Scotland’s most exciting talents before the September deadline.
The 19-year-old was named the SFWA Young Player of the Year after a dazzling breakthrough season at Easter Road.
And, having recently signed a contract until 2025, Hibs are well within their rights to demand whatever they want for an Edinburgh-born academy graduate who has not even scratched the surface of his potential.
According to the Evening Standard, Doig is valued at £5 million these days.
Arsenal are big fans of a man who has been labelled ‘the next Kieran Tierney’ due to his endless energy reserves and impressive delivery from the left-hand side.
But they, and London neighbours West Ham, have no plans to meet that prohibitive price-tag at this stage, asking Hibernian whether they would be willing to accept closer to £2.5 million for a man who has also been linked with Leeds United, Leicester City and Nottingham Forest.
Will Arsenal and West Ham miss out on Josh Doig?
Reports of Arsenal’s interest come as something of a surprise, given that Mikel Arteta’s side have already snapped up Nuno Tavares from Benfica this summer.
Perhaps Arsenal are concerned that, if they don’t make a move for Doig now, he will end up joining a direct Premier League rival instead.
“Sometimes an opportunity comes up that’s sometimes too good to turn down but, at the same time, the most important thing is that you need to play,” Hibernian captain David Gray said recently, warning Doig that the grass is not always greener elsewhere.
“My advice would always be that if everything in the move is right for you, are you going to get game time?
“It’s the most enjoyable thing. You’ll get more out of it if you’re playing.”
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