Hibs transfer news: Gaffer drops hint on cult hero Rocky Bushiri contract talks with 'positive' claim

Hibs boss David Gray has addressed his team’s chances of retaining cult hero Rocky Bushiri as he prepares to welcome half a squad of international players back to East Mains for pre-season training. And the Easter Road gaffer has outlined the club’s search for a striker following the departures of Dylan Vente, Mykola Kuharevich and Dwight Gayle.

Bushiri is effectively a free agent after allowing his contract to expire at the end of the campaign. But Hibs have kept talks with the Democratic Republic of Congo international going over the summer – and appear to be closer to agreement on a new deal for the centre-half, a huge figure in last season’s spectacular turnaround in fortunes.

Gray, asked yesterday if he expects to see Bushiri report for pre-season as scheduled this Friday, said: “Positive conversations with Rocky. He's another one that had a fantastic season.

“He'll be another one that's enjoying a little bit of a rest just now because his season, as you just touched on, was prolonged. He went away with his national team, did well there.

“I'm not sure where he is right now in the world! He'll be resting somewhere because the expectation is all the international players get slightly longer.”

Will Easter Road club bring in more than one striker?

The return of Bushiri is seen as crucial by Gray, who has placed great store on keeping his squad together after they climbed from the relegation zone to clinch third place in the Scottish Premiership. At the other end of the park, meanwhile, Hibs are on the hunt for at least one striker – for starters.

Vente’s £1 million-plus move to SC Heerenveen follows Gayle’s retirement and the move by Kuharevich, who impressed Gray during an injury-affected second loan stint with Hibs last season, to Slovan Bratislava. As things stand, Hibs have newly-capped Scotland striker Kieron Bowie, Socceroos star Martin Boyle and – if fit – Elie Youan as forward options.

Asked if the departure of Vente merely accentuated the need to recruit another striker, Gray said: “Yeah, we're still working hard. It does obviously show that this is an area of the pitch we need to bring bodies in.

“But it's not just a body you want. You want someone who's going to add to the group and strengthen and compensate for other areas in which we maybe not got.

“So, you look at what we've already still got in the building. You've got Kieron Bowie. Physically, he's going to really benefit from a real good pre-season.

“Great to see him get his international call-up as well, which will do him the world of good confidence-wise as well. We know how effective he was last season. Having him here for the start of the season is brilliant.

“It’s now about adding to the squad and getting that strength in depth. And it shows how valuable that was for us last season, Gayle coming off the bench and having a massive impact on the amount of games he played. So, we are looking to make sure we've got that strength in depth.

“I think it's just the position, when you look at that. I think obviously Gayle has moved on. He's retired.

“I should have mentioned how well he'd done for us last season. Not just on the pitch, off the pitch stuff with him as well. He was fantastic for the group. I know I spoke a lot about that last season.

“So, as I've already touched on, how good the group is and how strong it was last season. That's something we always want to try and protect and make sure we do bring the right type of people in.”

Asked if he’d be looking for more than one centre forward in the summer window, Gray said: “I think it's all about looking. You want to get one in the door first to see what that looks like.

“We've all got targets in different areas and what they're going to bring to the table, and I think it's a case of managing that whole situation. But right now, you need to get the first one in and see what that looks like - and then adjust from there accordingly.

“Clearly, we had players that played a lot of games last season, the loan players. You had Myko and Nectar Triantis, who both played a lot of games.

“These are positions that we're going to need to fill. We know that. We are working hard to do it.

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“And like I said last season, it's not just a case of bringing in a number. We need to make sure we strengthen the group. We always want to try and improve all the time and make sure we bring the right type of people to the club.”

Club owners continuing to back gaffer in transfer market

Insisting the club turning a profit on Vente shouldn’t impact his activity in the market, Gray said: “I think the budget has been set for a long time now. And one thing I've always said is the support and the backing for the Gordon family has always been there - and will continue to be there.

“It's been fantastic from that point of view. And the hard work and everything that's going on with that is just constantly trying to support the club and trying to improve the club.

“So, that's not really my side of the job. It's about making sure I get results and performances. But the backing is always there and will continue to be.”

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