Hibs transfer latest - unwanted midfielder nets club £100k-plus fee as striker hunt continues

Hibs | SNS Group

Hibs have landed a “six-figure fee” – with the potential of more to come – after off-loading unwanted attacking midfielder Ewan Henderson. In a deal announced today, Belgium Pro League club K Beerschot VA have agreed to pay in excess of £100,000 up front AND agreed to a sell-on clause to be triggered in the event of the 24-year-old moving on for another fee.

Henderson spent last season on loan with Belgian club FC Oostende. A Shaun Maloney loan signing from Celtic in January of 2022, he was handed a three-year deal by Lee Johnson a few months later.

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But Henderson has since been deemed surplus to requirements by Johnson, Nick Montgomery and now David Gray. The new manager – aware that the player had been pinning his hopes on a permanent move to Oostende, a deal that fell through because of the Belgian club’s financial issues – left Henderson out of his pre-season plans completely.

Welcoming the move today, Gray – hoping to land a striker soon, with Fulham’s Kieron Bowie among those on a long list of potential signings - said: “I wish Hendo all the best for the future. He showed last season that the style of football in Belgium really suits him and shows off some of his best attributes. I think he will relish a new environment and kick on in his career.”

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 Sporting director Malky Mackay added: “This deal makes complete sense for both the club and for Ewan. He performed well in Belgium last season, which has earnt him this move and the opportunity to progress in his career. I’ve known him for a number of years, and I wish him nothing but the best for the future.”

Mackay is still working on reducing the overall size of the squad, with exit deals for Riley Harbottle and Nohan Kenneh likely to follow before the transfer window closes. Hibs have made three signings since Gray’s appointment, recruiting former England Under-21 goalie Josef Bursik, as well as central defenders Marvin Ekpiteta and Warren O’Hora.