Forgotten Hibs men under contract but out of picture - what will David Gray do with returning loan players?
Dutch interest in striker - but others stuck in limbo ahead of pre-season
They’re the other guys. Technically on the books but, for reasons including inexperience, intense competition for places or simply being in entirely the wrong movie, not really part of the bigger picture.
Do Hibs persist with Dylan Vente or bite Heerenveen’s hand off, should the Dutch club follow up their early interest? That’s not as simple a question as it seems, despite the player himself publicly agitating – in a very gentle and polite way – for a permanent move after a really impressive season-long loan spell with PEC Zwolle.
What next for Jair Tavares? More of a clear-cut issue, potentially. And did anyone even remember that Allan Delferriere was still a Hibs employee?
You couldn’t be blamed for overlooking some of the players who spent last season – or a significant chunk of the campaign, at least – out on loan. Given the size of squad inherited by first-year head coach David Gray and sporting director Malky Mackay, they couldn’t possibly get rid of every unwanted asset in their first season.
With the transfer window open again as of this morning, and the bulk of the first-team squad reporting for pre-season training on Friday, then, there are still a few senior professionals in limbo. We take a look at the former regulars now completely out of the picture – and ask if there is any way back.
Dylan Vente ripping it up in Eredivisie
Scouting is hard. Talent identification is complicated. And a morning spent taking a look at this guy called Dylan Vente merely underlines the point.
If the Dutchman hadn’t been signed by Lee Johnson, for a fee in excess of £500,000 in the summer of 2023, he’d almost certainly be on the radar of someone in the recruitment department at Hibernian. A few hours invested in a basic review of his season-long loan with PEC Zwolle underlines the dangers of data-led talent ID, and the importance of environment as a factor in any player assessment.
The numbers racked up by Vente, now a full international for Suriname, over the course of the campaign are impressive enough. Sitting fifth in the Eredivisie scoring charts with 13 league goals, plus one in the cup, you can see why clubs would want to take a look at the 26-year-old.
Anyone studying the Wyscout clips, meanwhile, could only come away impressed with what they see. Including deadly finishing with left foot, right foot – and even a header. Over the course of a campaign that saw PEC finish tenth in Holland’s top flight, Vente scored with tight-angle finishes at the near post, tap-ins at the back post, made clever runs and dribbled past defenders … someone really should sign this guy.
The issues that worked against Vente in Scotland remain, though. He’s still not the greatest at pressing and winning the ball, a key element for anyone looking to play up front. And might be just a little lightweight for the Scottish Premiership.
Fortunately for both Hibs and the player himself, it looks as if Heerenveen – who finished one place above PEC in the league – are interested in keeping the former Feyenoord prospect in his homeland. With a year left on his contract, it makes sense for Vente to move on. Hibs shouldn’t be too difficult to deal with.
Motherwell loan spell did nothing for Jair Tavares
Frustrating and baffling. That’s the best way to sum up of not merely Jair Tavares’ season-long loan with Motherwell – but his entire Hibs career to date.
To recap, Lee Johnson hailed the Tavares signing as “a real coup” when the Easter Road club signed the winger from Benfica, where he’d become established in the B team, in the summer of 2022. By the time Nick Montgomery arrived to replace Johnson as manager in September of 2023, however, Tavares had been completely frozen out of the first team squad.
Initially recalled and revitalised under Monty, Tavares faded and then fell out of the picture when David Gray took over last summer. Was promptly sent to Fir Park. And made just two starts in an injury-affected campaign.
Still under contract for another year, it’s hard to see how the 24-year-old winger fits into the Hibs team. Especially if they stick to the 3-4-1-2/3-5-2 formation that served them so well over the second half of last season.
Who remembers Allan Delferriere?
Really? He’s still on the books? You might have missed him in the retained list released by Hibs at the end of the season. Which would be understandable, despite the Belgian having been at Easter Road since 2022.
He spent last season on loan in Luxembourg, helping Racing Union finish fourth in the league. Before that, he’d been on loan in the Czech Republic with MFK Vyskov for six months. Rewarded with a new contract in 2023, having spent a season with Edinburgh City, Delferriere still has a year to run on his current deal.
Used mainly as a central defender by Racing, Delferriere – who came through the ranks at Standard Liege – was seen more as a midfielder at Hibs. Expect another loan deal, or something more permanent, for the 23-year-old.
The kids are all right … just not right now
All of the above are senior pros. Does that apply to some of the young players who might struggle for game time this season?
Kanayo Megwa has just done a full season with Partick Thistle, the 21-year-old making it all the way to the Premiership play-off semi-finals with the Jags. Looking at right back/right wingback, though, he might struggle to get in ahead of Chris Cadden and/or Lewis Miller. Another loan, then?
Megwa is under contract with Hibs until 2028, indicating a certain degree of faith in his potential. And Gray was gaffer when the club handed the young Englishman a four-year extension last summer, suggesting he recognises the kid’s ability. Going to be interesting to see what happens.
There are other youngsters on the books more likely to spend the season – or at least part of it – elsewhere, with goalie Murray Johnson and right back Rory Whittaker both in that category.