Did Hibs boss Lee Johnson drop a subtle transfer hint regarding potential January targets?

There are 17 days of the January transfer window remaining. So far this month, Hibs have moved on six players with rumours of further departures, but in terms of incomings, it has been awfully quiet.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Part of the reason for the lack of rumours is that Hibs still need to make space in their bloated squad for incomings. Manager Lee Johnson and chief executive Ben Kensell have both stressed this in recent updates.

Of the six who have left, only three could be considered part of the first-team squad – Momodou Bojang, Kevin Dąbrowski, and Nohan Kenneh. There are expected to be further first-team departures, while Ryan Porteous could still leave this month.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

But speaking to the media on Thursday, Johnson discussed the prospect of spending any money received for Porteous on strengthening his squad, in line with his ‘one or two quality additions’ line from his post-derby comments. Here’s what he said:

Hibs manager Lee Johnson is keen on trimming his squad and adding one or two quality additionsHibs manager Lee Johnson is keen on trimming his squad and adding one or two quality additions
Hibs manager Lee Johnson is keen on trimming his squad and adding one or two quality additions

"I think it's part of the pie. It might be a centre-forward who comes in with that money, it might be a right-back. It doesn't necessarily mean man-for-man. There's a little bit of a Rubik's Cube to it, to be able to move people about and that's one of the strengths of our squad. We've got decent flexibility, especially in midfield."

While it might well have been examples off the top of the manager’s head, there’s actually an element of accuracy to what he said. With Jake Doyle-Hayes fit and available once more, Hibs now have five players capable of playing centrally, while under-19s captain Murray Aiken has been in and around the squad. Lewis Stevenson could also be deployed in midfield in case of emergency.

Last weekend saw three different players take on right-back duties against Motherwell. Chris Cadden started before being forced off after half an hour, with Josh Campbell replacing him for the bulk of the match before Stevenson stepped in for the final few minutes. With Cadden likely to miss this weekend and Lewis Miller still getting up to speed after three consecutive injuries, Johnson has hinted at being ‘creative’ in his team selection against Dundee United. Even with a fully-fit Miller, Hibs are light on right-back options. Kanayo Megwa got a couple of run-outs in the mid-season friendlies but may not be ready for regular first-team involvement.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Meanwhile, on-loan striker Mykola Kukharevych could be out for the next two months. Kevin Nisbet is still getting back to full fitness although five goals in five games since his return suggests he isn’t struggling too much. Aiden McGeady will undoubtedly chip in with goals and assists but apart from that, Hibs don’t have too much in the final third with Martin Boyle a long-term absentee and Harry McKirdy and Elias Melkersen struggling for goals and regular gametime. Élie Youan has six assists, but just one goal.

So bringing in another striker wouldn’t be the worst idea. What would a potential new recruit look like? You’d imagine someone capable of playing in a front two or out wide.

There may also be other positions Hibs are looking at. Perhaps Johnson’s comments were mere coincidence. But whatever the target positions, Hibs are making progress with exits so it surely won’t be too long before they can start looking seriously at new additions.

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.