Hibs transfer news - striker target 'bidding war' claims addressed as German defender remains on radar
Sheffield Wednesday £1 million price tag inflated by ‘interest’ down south
Attempts to start a bidding war over Hibs target Bailey Cadamarteri will not force the Easter Road club to dramatically upgrade their valuation of the Sheffield Wednesday striker. And a lot of the “interest” in the frontman is expected to fade away as Deadline Day approaches, according to sources with knowledge of the situation – potentially leaving a clearer path for a move by the Edinburgh outfit.
With Wednesday still in administration pending a takeover by Dunfermline owner James Bord, the Hillsborough club – heading straight for League One as they sit on minus-seven points after suffering heavy deductions for slipping into insolvency – are obviously eager to maximise the return on the sale of any prized assets. But it is understood that talk of a £1 million asking price for the 20-year-old Jamaican international is well wide of the mark.
And, despite reports linking half a dozen-plus clubs with Cadamarteri, Hibs are determined not to be bounced into an expensive auction based on rival interest of uncertain provenance. They remain in the hunt for a striker as a priority during the January window – but Cadamarteri is just one of several targets near the top of their list.
With Kieron Bowie looking weary after doing a lot of the heavy lifting across the front line this season, Martin Boyle coming back from injury and club record signing Thibault Klidje – a £1.5 million summer acquisition – failing to impress with any sort of consistency, the need for another forward option is obvious. Hibs backed out of a Deadline Day deal to land Scotland international Lyndon Dykes during the summer and, with the experienced forward now having completed a January move from Birmingham to Charlton, there is a vacancy for a physical front man.
Cadamarteri is considered – potentially – a good fit for the profile, although he’s still raw and inexperienced. But he’s not the only name on the shopping list.
Kieron Bowie departure still a possibility
And, of course, the entire situation could change IF Bowie is sold before the transfer window closes on Monday, February 2. Hibs are still braced fo the possibility of bids on the Scotland striker, who has scored nine goals in all competitions – including the UEFA Conference League. Should the club receive a massive offer for Bowie before the deadline, they do have contingency plans to replace a player who cost them £600,000 when he arrived from Fulham at the start of last season.
Hibs remain keen, meanwhile, on landing German right back Felix Passlack. The 27-year-old former Borussia Dortmund player, seen as an ideal upgrade in the right wingback position, is currently at VfL Bochum.
David Gray takes his team to Falkirk on Saturday in search of a morale-boosting victory now becoming almost a necessity following last weekend’s embarrassing Scottish Cup loss to Dunfermline. John McGlynn’s Bairns – who knocked Hearts out of the Cup at Tynecastle on Saturday night – currently sit five points behind Hibs in sixth place.