Hibs will fight for Latapy
(Stuart Crowther)

HIBERNIAN WILL FIGHT ON  in an attempt to convince Russell Latapy to end his playing days at Easter Road - but it is one battle that for the Easter Road club looks doomed to failure.

Latapy spoke out for the first time at the weekend, revealing what most Hibs.net fans have known for some months - that the Trinidad and Tobago star had attracted interest from English clubs and was considering a move south.  While club skipper Franck Sauzee struck a new deal with Hibs managing director Rod Petrie, Latapy has stubbornly refused to move in his financial demands that are far in excess of anything that Hibernian are prepared to pay to any player, even one who is described by manager Alex McLeish as a 'superstar'.

The main interest in Latapy now appears to be from English Premiership side Bradford, who are now managed by former Hearts boss Jim Jefferies.  Latapy has long since made clear his ambition to join close friend and T&T team-mate Dwight Yorke in the Premiership, but Alex McLeish last night pointed out that Latapy would not be allowed to leave Hibs in any case before the end of the season - and by then, struggling Bradford would likely no longer be a Premiership outfit.  McLeish said last night: "Although Russell may covet the idea of performing in the Premiership, I'm afraid Bradford are going down to the First Division!

"In any case, it does not matter what happens because Russell is staying with Hibs until the end of the season.  We have still got our quest for Europe, the club is in the quarter finals of the Scottish Cup and there is a lot for everyone at Easter Road to look forward to.  We are doing everything we can to keep Russell at Hibernian, we would love Russell to stay because the wee man has been a genius for us, he is a superstar."

Superstar or not, if Latapy is to remain in Edinburgh beyond the current season he will need to moderate the financial demands he has made of the club, as Hibs are clearly in no mind to break the bank for the player, as McLeish said: "We will not put ourselves out on a limb or get into a situation where it destabilises the club.  If Russell gets an offer that is better than ours, then we have to accept that he may choose to leave, there is nothing we can do.  I do not know if our offer to Russell is final, but Bradford can offer financial riches far greater than ours."  Hibs have offered Latapy a 2-year deal which Hibs.net understands includes a significant increase on his current pay, but which falls well short of the demands made by the player and his agent.

Meanwhile Hibs have been drawn to face either Kilmarnock or Inverness in the last eight of the Scottish Cup.  Killie scrambled a draw in Inverness on Saturday in a pulsating last minute, and will now replay the tie at Rugby Park next week.  The Inverness side have shown enough in recent years, defeating Celtic at Parkhead last season, to show that this tie should not be deemed an foregone conclusion for the SPL side.