Hibs strengthen defensive options with capture of Nottingham Forest centre-back

Hibs have bolstered their defensive options with the signing of Riley Harbottle on a three-year deal from Nottingham Forest.

The Easter Road side, who are confident of finalising a deal to bring Manchester United defender Will Fish back to the club on a second season-long loan arrangement have moved quickly to add the right-sided Harbottle to their rearguard, paying the English Premier League side an undisclosed fee for his services.

The 22-year-old progressed through the Nottingham Forest academy, eventually making his senior debut as a starter in a Carabao Cup first-round tie against Bradford City, keeping his place for the second-round meeting with Wolves during the 2021/22 edition of the competition. He has also made the bench for the Forest first team, but didn’t make a senior league appearance for the Reds.

Harbottle often skippered Forest at under-18 and under-23 level, and is a potent threat at the other end of the pitch, having scored six goals in 37 matches in all competitions during a season-long loan with English League Two side Mansfield Town last season. He also had an earlier, brief loan spell with Wealdstone in the Vanarama National League.

Riley Harbottle has joined Hibs on a permanent basis from Nottingham Forest. Picture: SNS Group

Hibs manager Lee Johnson said: “Riley is a young defender with a lot of potential and we’re delighted to bring him to the club. He has good pedigree coming from Nottingham Forest’s academy and impressed with Mansfield last year. He’s a talented young player that we believe we can develop and he adds strength in depth for us at centre-back. Everyone is looking forward to working with him.”

Harbottle, who had a year left on his City Ground contract, had been tipped to go back out on loan to England’s League One this season, but Hibs have moved to snap him up with a view to bringing him through to the first team gradually, much like they did with Fish following his arrival on loan from United in August.

At 22 Harbottle is older than Fish and has more senior games under his belt, and the hope is that, having signed on until the summer of 2026, the Nottingham-born centre-half can take a similar pathway to his countryman and in time, be a valuable addition to Johnson’s first-team options.