Hibs will be looking to strengthen their squad in several areas this summer, with new director of football Brian McDermott working with manager Lee Johnson on priority positions.
Centre-back will be one of them. Will Fish and CJ Egan-Riley will return to Manchester United and Burnley respectively at the end of their loan spells and Mikey Devlin, who joined on a short-term deal in January to provide cover, is expected to depart after getting only a few minutes in the final game.
Ryan Porteous, of course, left for Watford in January. That leaves club stalwart Paul Hanlon and Rocky Bushiri, who has only recently returned from injury, as the only two senior centre-back in the squad.
With Kevin Nisbet expected to attract interest from down south, Mykola Kukharevych returning to Troyes and Matthew Hoppe to Middlesbrough at the end of their loan spells, Hibs will also be looking for a new striker. Central midfield is another area Johnson will be looking to strengthen in order to find a better cutting edge in the final third.
It’s not easy to compete in the transfer market with EFL Championship and even League One clubs down south who can offer far more in wages, so Hibs have to be clever. McDermott will certainly bring in some fresh ideas and Johnson will tap into his connections with the City Football Group.
Here are 10 players who are out of contract this summer that could be worth considering. What do you think?
. Lucas Joao (striker)
The 29-year-old Angolan striker is out of contract at Reading, who were relegated from the Championship. Hibs director of football Brian McDermott's Reading connections means the club will be well aware of him. Joao has attributes that would suit the Scottish game. He has physicality to compete with defenders, but he can also run in behind and score goals. He scored just seven times in the season just finished, but in the two seasons prior to that netted 29 times in 63 games. Photo: Zac Goodwin
9. Amadou Mbengue (centre-back)
The pacy 21-year-old defender is out of contract at Reading, who have been relegated to League One and may be looking to trim their squad. Mbengue joined the Royals on a short-term deal in September after he was released by Matz and then extended it until the end of the season. He made 18 starts from 26 appearances in the league proved to be a very useful member of the squad due to his ability to play in several positions, with pace one of his strongest attributes. Centre-back is a position Hibs need to strengthen and Mbengue is another player who could have potential re-sale value. Photo: Richard Heathcote
10. Sam McClelland (centre-back)
The 21-year-old has spent the season in League Two on loan at Barrow from Chelsea and fits and has one senior cap for Northern Ireland. At six foot three he could be a commanding presence at the back for Hibs, who need to recruit in that department. McClelland, who joined Chelsea from Coleraine in 2018 and has captained the development squad at Stamford Bridge on numerous occasions, was a key player for Barrow, making 30 appearances in all competitions and helping the club to a ninth-placed finish. It was his first season of first-team football and he is now considering his options. Photo: PETE NORTON