Ronan Curtis set to depart Portsmouth as Hibernian eye winger linked with Blackburn Rovers, Cardiff City, Preston North End and Derby County

The News understands it’s looking increasingly likely the Republic of Ireland international will depart this summer, after four years at Fratton Park.

Pompey will accept an offer of £500,000 for the 26-year-old, who has a year to run on his existing agreement.

Curtis is also generating potential interest from the Championship, as the wait for the market to accelerate continues.

The likes of Blackburn, Preston, Derby and Cardiff have been linked with the winger in his time at PO4, with a valuation of £2m placed on his head 12 months ago.

Curtis could’ve left for a fee of around £1m as recently at January, but Danny Cowley was keen not to agree to his departure and leave his squad exposed in the event of not finding a suitable replacement.

Hibs are a new name to now emerge, with Lee Johnson arriving at Easter Road in May on a four-year deal.

Johnson, of course, knows Curtis well from his time as boss at Sunderland where the former Derry City man has given his side problems .

A move to the SPL could offer the ideal platform for Curtis to showcase his talent as he bids to earn a place back in his country’s international set-up.

His preference, however, would be to move up to the second tier of English football after making 190 appearances at Pompey.

Curtis’ standing may have dropped after an inconsistent 2021-22 season, where he was used in a variety of different attacking positions to his preferred role off the left.

His overall figures make for impressive reading, however, returning 50 goals and 34 assists since Kenny Jackett signed him in 2018.

It now seems that all parties feel the time is right to move on, if the right agreement can be found among the player’s suitors.

Cowley faces a business summer of reshaping his squad for his second full season in charge at Fratton Park.

Curtis undoubtedly is one of the most bankable players in the Londoner’s set-up along with Marcus Harness, with a decent fee providing extra flexibility to carry out the required squad surgery.

Pompey are keen on bringing local lad Marlon Pack back to Fratton Park and have been linked with West Brom’s talented young keeper Josh Griffiths.

The striking department is also in need of major surgery, with the Blues without a senior contracted player in that area.

Kyle Wootton was a target, before he moved to Stockport County with the likes of Kion Etete, Morgan Whittaker and Kyle Joseph other names to be mentioned.