Hibs boss sees key qualities in ex-Barca prospect as Gray reveals 'bit of magic' transfer ambition - Exclusive

Wary of over-hyping the lone signing – so far – of a January window entering its final knockings, David Gray naturally feels protective towards Alasana Manneh; the last thing the midfielder needs is to be piled high with expectations before he even kicks a ball in anger. Still, as even the reticent Hibs boss admits himself, there’s a reason why the Easter Road club paid good money to release the Gambian international from the final months of his contract with Odense Boldklub.

Gray, who says Hibs are still looking to add “a bit of magic” to a sizeable squad before Monday night’s deadline, clearly believes Manneh has the potential to make an impact in Scotland. While he may be joined by another signing or two over the coming days, with movement partially but not entirely related to the possibility of outgoings, the 26-year-old – who WON’T have international clearance in time to face Aberdeen at Easter Road on Sunday – is currently the focus of hopes and demands from an entire support base.

So what does he bring to the party? Well, plenty, according to Gray.

“I think he's got really good energy, he holds the middle of the pitch really well, very competitive, but also very comfortable on the ball,” he said, the former club captain pointedly adding: “He's come through Barcelona's academy as a young boy, so he can handle the ball, played in big games, played for a big club.

“I don't want to put too much pressure on him because you don't want to make it sound like he's signed the best player in the world. But at the same time, there's a reason why we've tried to get him for the qualities he's got.

“He's an all-round midfielder and, for the way we play at the moment, I think it'll really help us. The left-sided nature of it as well, we've only got Joe Newell who's left-sided at the moment, so when Joe's not been playing, he can give us that balance at times.

“That is not the be-all and end-all, of course, but certainly adds to that balance in midfield and gives us something slightly different. I'm looking forward to working with him. I think when you watch his games, he has really good moments within the game, just like anybody else.

“He's got a very good pedigree. I don’t think he’ll be in time for the weekend because of his visa and international clearance - but we've managed to get all that done in terms of contracts and medicals and all that.

“It will all get done before the window closes and then he'll be available after that, which is good. He gives us real strength and depth in the middle of the pitch.”

Hibs are still in the market for the right recruit. Aberdeen’s Jamie McGrath has been on the radar for some time, although it’s expected that the Irish playmaker will have a number of options as he enters the closing months of his contract. Manchester United prospect Dan Gore is another name being discussed when Gray and new-ish head of recruitment get together but, so far, the 20-year-old has been just another name on a long list.

Manneh is different. He was one they really wanted to get. And get now.

Explaining why Hibs had spent money – believed to be in the region of £100,000 – to immediately snap up a player who could have joined the club as a free agent in the summer, Gray revealed: “It's just the opportunity came up. We saw a possibility to give us a different bit of quality in there.

“He's something slightly different to maybe what we've had. So, when the opportunity arose, we were keen. Because, as I've always said, we want to make sure we end up stronger by the end of the window. This was an opportunity to try and do that.”

No panic buys

With the thick end of four days to go before the final whistle sounds on a mid-season madness that inevitably provokes panic buying on a scale not normally seen outside of the market in AI, Gray is focused not on numbers but individual talents, saying: “I think it's purely dependent on who becomes available, or what can possibly be done. I know that's a bit of a cop-out answer, but it's genuinely about thinking about the numbers we've got in the squad at the moment and making the squad better.

“If it’s just bringing another player in for the sake of it, there’s no point. Because we’ve got a really good squad with really good players. If it's something that we believe adds a little bit of magic and makes us better able to get where we need to get to, and it can be done and the club want to support us on it, that would be great.

“And if someone out of contract hasn’t been playing as much as they would like, are we in a position to let them go? Or do they need to be replaced if that happens?

“Or if someone comes in for one of our players who is playing regularly, as naturally happens with good players, we need to be proactive. We need to be ready to jump if required.

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“It’s quality over quantity, one hundred per cent, and I think we've been quite consistent with that all season. It’s also about being ready for whatever happens in the last week.

“I expect there to be interest in some of our players because we've got so many out of contract as well. I think it's 15 maybe by the end of the season that are out of contract, and when they're out of contract they'll get interest from other people.

“We need to be ready to make sure we're proactive either way, whether it's to have to bring someone in because we lose someone, or an opportunity comes up to make us better that the club would like to support us on. As I've always said, we need to be ready for anything that can happen, because in the last week, anything can.”

In other news: Can Hibs keep Sunderland loanee beyond summer recall?