One area Hibs will target in transfer window revealed as David Gray set for peek behind Bournemouth curtain
Hibs have identified one area in need of strengthening this summer - as Gray gets set to visit a Premier League side.
David Gray has confirmed one specific area will be targeted at Hibs this summer - as he’s set for a behind the scenes look at English Premier League side Bournemouth.
Amid their partnership with Black Knight Football Club, headed by Bill Foley and containing the Cherries, Hibs, AFC Auckland in Australia’s A-League and Ligue 2 outfit Lorient, a goalkeeper was put forward as an example of how players could move between clubs in this chain.
Black Knight president Tim Bezbathenko used goalkeeper Alex Paulsen, on loan at Auckland from Bournemouth, to explain how the multi-club ownership group works. He suggested that “Hibs could be a good location for him” after a campaign down under.
Hibs target a goalkeeper
Gray has been asked whether he would be open to that deal but talked broadly about what the link-up will do for Hibs heading into the summer, with a goalkeeper on the agenda regardless. He said: “I think that's what Tim was demonstrating really, which is with a multi-club sort of group, how can everybody sort of benefit from it? And when you look within, can you recruit from within as well?
“Anything that can strengthen each of the teams can only be a good thing for everybody involved. And that's what I took from that sort of interview, was how you could demonstrate how players can move around and the jump from some places to get straight to Bournemouth, for example, into the Premier League - does a loan to a team like Hibs at a slightly lower level suit some players? Of course it would.
“And I think it's definitely an added bonus to be able to have that network and that infrastructure that you can look at players that can maybe come and do that. We've obviously tied up Jordan Smith quickly again, which was great, because he's done fantastically well in his new contract. And obviously Joseph Bursik’s on loan, so it is a position we're going to have to bring someone in, which is why he probably just demonstrated that position as always we look within the network as well, which is great.”
Bournemouth visit
The Black Knight link-up is not purely player based. As part of it, Gray is getting the chance to spend some time behind the scenes at Bournemouth who are currently enjoying an excellent season in England’s top flight.
He added: “Especially myself as a coach, and the rest of the coaches, you're always trying to learn. You can always learn from other people, whether you go down and enjoy it or whatever is different story. Everyone's got different ways of doing it. There's no right or wrong way to do it. So for myself to go down there and get the opportunity to see how a Premier League team works and how a Premier League manager who's doing incredibly well with what they've got.
“They're flying in the league, they're doing really well, just to see how that operates is something that, again, strengthens the relationship and the benefits of having the multi-club and the Black-Knight investment within the football club is I can go down there, which is great, and I'm really looking forward to doing that in a time that suits our sort of schedule up here, because you can always learn.
“You can always look to try and take little bits from here and maybe ask questions that maybe we're doing up here as well. So you're always learning, always looking to evolve and I think that's a fantastic relationship to have.”