Hibs 'having conversations' about future of Easter Road loan players

Hibs are already having conversations about the future of a number of Easter Road loanees.

There are five loan players contributing to the Capital club on a weekly basis but only one – Élie Youan, in Edinburgh on a season-long arrangement from Swiss side St. Gallen – has a clause in his contract allowing Hibs to buy the player outright should they want to extend his stay.

But Hibs, who say they are keen to learn lessons when it comes to recruitment and contracts after a difficult summer transfer window and a better January, have already started the ball rolling on talks that could see certain some of the quintet stay at Easter Road beyond the summer in some capacity or another.

“There are too many variables to say whether we can or can’t do deals but in terms of having conversations, we absolutely are, so we can ascertain what value we would need to get to, to bring them to the club on a full-time basis,” Kensell explained. “Firstly there’s another club involved, so you need to have discussions with them, and the player needs to want it to happen as well. Certain contracts that we have allow us options, like we have with Élie.”

Élie Youan, right, has impressed in recent weeks while Matthew Hoppe got off the mark on his home debut against Kilmarnock

On-loan Middlesbrough forward Matthew Hoppe is already off the mark for Hibs having scored against Kilmarnock, while defender Will Fish took his tally to two in nine after netting the opener in the same game, earning plaudits from parent club Manchester United.

Burnley’s CJ Egan-Riley has performed well at right-back and in defensive midfield while Mykola Kukharevych struck three times in ten matches in the first half of the season before suffering an injury that has so far prevented him from kicking a ball in 2023.

In terms of the possibility of extended loan spells for some players or even permanent moves, nothing is off the table as Hibs chiefs continue planning for the 2023/24 campaign.

"If you’re asking me if I believe the finances are in place to make decisions that are educated based on them being at HTC and playing in Scottish football and doing well for Hibs then the answer is yes. They aren’t calculated risks, we know what they can do,” Kensell added.