Momodou Bojang: Hibs complete loan signing of Gambian attacker - but ex-Easter Road man unlikely to return

Hibs have announced the signing of Gambian forward Momodou Bojang on a season-long loan deal.

The 20-year-old joins from Rainbow FC, with the Capital club having the option to sign the pacy striker on a permanent basis.

Manager Lee Johnson has been aware of the attacker for some time, and revealed Hibs had beaten clubs in America, Portugal, and Sweden to Bojang’s signature.

He added: “We welcome Momodou to the club with open arms.

“He’s incredibly hungry to succeed and I’m looking forward to seeing how quickly he can adapt to the Scottish game.

“I’m really pleased we have an option to turn his loan into a permanent transfer – it gives him an added incentive to be a real success with us.”

Head of Recruitment Ian Gordon explained why the striker was a good fit for the qualities Johnson wants in his attacking players.

“We’ve done a lot of work on Momodou and he has a lot of physical and technical attributes that stand out at his age.

Momodou Bojang celebrates scoring for Famalicão against Rio Ave

“He’s determined to reach his potential. The loan is a great option for us to see how he settles in Scotland and develops as a player.”

Bojang scored six goals in 17 games for the under-23 side of Portuguese Primeira Liga side Famalicão last season.

He helped the Gambia to third in the Under-20 AFCON tournament in 2021 and is on the cusp of inclusion in the country’s senior national team squad after impressing for the Scorpions at underage level.

Bojang can operate as a centre-forward or on either side of a front three and will join up with Hibs from July 1.

Meanwhile, Hibs are working on additional new faces and there could be further announcements this week as Johnson continues building his squad ahead of the new season.

The Easter Road side has been linked with West Ham United left-back Emmanuel Longelo but while there is interest, Hibs are unlikely to follow it up unless there is a bid for Scotland Under-21 internationalist Josh Doig that club chiefs can’t turn down.

Hibs are still in the process of identifying a new goalkeeping coach but the Evening News understands that reports touting Grzegorz Szamotulski for a return to Edinburgh are wide of the mark and the 46-year-old is not thought to be an option.