Blackpool's new and improved offer for Hearts' former Barnsley defender turned down - reports

Hearts boss Robbie Neilson confirmed on Wednesday the SPL outfit had rejected an offer from Blackpool believed to be in the region of £600,000.

The Daily Record is now reporting that a second bid, thought to be around £800,000 with add-ons taking it up to seven figures, has also been turned down.

It’s claimed north of the border that the Edinburgh outfit are highly reluctant to let their man go.

Addressing Blackpool’s interest in Sibbick, Neilson told Sky Sports: “He’s a very, very important player for us.

“Any player we have at this football club who is at Toby’s level has a value and that value didn’t get matched, so he’ll stay here and I hope that’s at least until the end of the season because we need him.

“The whole process is about building a team. There’s no point bringing people in in the summer and then six months later flipping them for money we don’t believe they are valued at.

“We are building a team around key players and, at the moment, Toby is one of those key players.”

Blackpool’s interest comes after Sibbick, a defender, scored in Hearts’ Edinburgh derby win against Hibernian at the weekend.

Hearts value Sibbick highly after his rapid development this season and have no intention of selling him, according to recent reports.

New Blackpool boss Mick McCarthy is thought to be a big admirer of the player having watched him at former club Barnsley.

Sibbick only joined Hearts from Yorkshire last January for a rumoured £250,000 fee and signed a three-and-a-half-year contract. He is considered a long-term asset with the potential to develop more with greater experience in the Scottish league.

The Seasiders are likely to be on the lookout for another centre-back between now and the end of the transfer window despite recently bringing in Charlie Goode on loan from Brentford.

Marvin Ekpiteta is sidelined with a hamstring injury and is likely to be out until the end of February, while Rhys Williams recently returned to Liverpool.