Stevie Mallan on verge of leaving Hibs for Yeni Malatyaspor return - reports

The 25-year-old spent the second half of last season on loan at the Super Lig club, scoring twice in 17 games and impressing coach İrfan Buz.

Now Turkish sports newspaper Fanatik claims the former Barnsley and St Mirren man is heading back to Malatya in time for the new season.

Mallan’s Easter Road contract expires next summer but he would not be averse to the idea of returning to Yeni Malatyaspor if circumstances made it possible.

Speaking to the Evening News in June, he insisted his main goal for the summer was to force his way back into Jack Ross’ first-team plans.

Mallan said: “I need to have a good pre-season and hopefully I can fight my way into the manager’s plans. I have to try that before we start talking about the future. But we will have to see who they bring in and who will be going.

“Going back to Turkey could be a possibility if everything went well and we could make it work at home and at Hibs

“I enjoyed it that much, and that would make it hard to say no if the opportunity arose again.”

Ross was reluctant to lose Mallan in January but appreciated his desire for first-team football. However, the arrival of Jake Doyle-Hayes means there is still plenty of competition in the Easter Road midfield and it may be that the former Scotland Under-21 cap feels he needs to move again to be assured of regular game-time.

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