No Miller Time For Allan

Rotherham United have ruled themselves out of signing Hibs star Scott Allan despite being willing to offer a fee ‘in excess of £400,000’ for the midfielder.

Despite being willing to discuss a fee with Hibs, Millers boss Steve Evans confirmed he won’t take his interest any further as the player wasn’t interested in a move to the unfashionable Yorkshire outfit.

The English Championship side were credited with a bid of around £375,000 yesterday afternoon however it seems these reports were inaccurate as Hibs boss Alan Stubbs told the gathered press ahead of their opening game of the season against Dumbarton that it was only Rangers who had made a further bid, one described as ‘a little bit more than the initial one if you can call them offers,’ by the Easter Road chief.

Meanwhile Evans was a little more open in his remarks by claiming the midfielder wants to stay in Scotland following his recent transfer request.

‘We have removed ourselves from the process in the last couple of hours,’ Evans said.

‘I spoke to his representatives earlier today and they made it clear that Scott wanted to stay in Scotland and I don’t care if you’re Scott Allan or Messi, if you don’t want to come to Rotherham United, we don’t want you to come.

‘It wasn’t a case of Rotherham, he didn’t want to come to England. I have spoken to Alan Stubbs up at Hibs and I told him what the views were from Scott’s representatives and he understands where we are.

‘We had a certain value, certainly in excess of £400,000 to bring the young man here, but if he didn’t want to come here we have to move on and we will do.’

The Rotherham boss’ comments make for grim reading for Wigan Athletic boss Gary Caldwell with his side also interested in the playmaker but Allan’s chance of a move to Ibrox to play for the team he supported as a child remain zero this season after Stubbs yet again confirmed he won’t be sold to Rangers under any circumstance.

If Allan is refusing to move to an English outfit should Hibs agree a fee with them it doesn’t really say a lot for his ambitions in the game if he’d rather play in the goldfish bowl of the Old Firm rivalry rather than challenge himself against a higher standard of opposing player.

Hibs are playing this very well. Refusing to sell to a promotion rival but willing to discuss with other sides who are capable of offering an agreed fee, in cash rather than IOU’s or Irn Bru bottles, and show Allan he does indeed have other opportunities available rather than making a move sideways albeit for a bigger wage packet.