'We are actively in discussions with a number of players and clubs' - Hibs chief gives update on club's transfer window

Graeme Mathie updated fans on potential comings and goings from the club's Estepona base
Hibs' Sporting Director Graeme MathieHibs' Sporting Director Graeme Mathie
Hibs' Sporting Director Graeme Mathie

Hibs Sporting Director Graeme Mathie has updated fans on the club's approach to the January transfer window, reassuring fans: "We want to be active in this window."

The only activity so far has been the cancellation of Glenn Middleton's season-long loan from Rangers, while there had been speculation linking the Easter Road side with moves for former Hibs players Dylan McGeouch - before he signed for Aberdeen - and Marc McNulty, as well as ex-Hearts goalkeeper Jon McLaughlin, all of whom played under head coach Jack Ross at Sunderland.

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Speaking to Hibs TV at the club's winter training camp in Spain, Mathie said: "Ideally we would get all our business done on January 1 and have a quiet month but in reality there's a list of players in different circumstances - some available on 1 January, some we might need to wait for until other things happen in their scenario and others you may need to wait even longer for towards the end of the month.

"We've made material changes to the squad in the last three winter windows, that have helped us and improved us and there's no reason why we can't do that again and that's what we're working towards."

Supporters are always keen to see new faces brought in during the January window but, as Mathie explained, the process is very much a balancing act and concerns players leaving, not just new faces arriving.

"We are actively in discussions with a number of different players and clubs at the moment and we want to be strengthening and adding to the squad," he continued.

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"We also need to consider the number of players we've got, to make sure that the squad dynamic is good and that we have a hungry squad where people see an opportunity to play and work hard to get there. It's always a balancing act to bring players in and sometimes to move players out.

"Eighteen months, two years ago in a summer transfer window we had to actively make a decision not to recruit another central defender because we felt Ryan Porteous would transition over a period of time.

"As it happened he was one injury away from transitioning very quickly, but he's taken his opportunity and he's been a key part of the team when fit ever since.

"So the young players this week [goalkeeper Paddy Martin, versatile defender/midfielder Ben Stirling and attacker Jamie Gullan] are here to see how close they can get to impacting the team and that obviously has a knock-on effect on what other players we might bring in in other positions."