David Gray admitted last week that, with the January transfer window closed, attention inevitably must turn towards the large number of Hibs players hurtling towards free agency in a matter of months. Gray also said he understood why some of those players would be looking for “assurances” about their futures.
With Rocky Bushiri revealing that he’d yet to begin any sort of meaningful negotiations with the club over extending his own contract beyond the end of this season, plenty of fans will be wondering about events happening behind the scenes. Where conversations are most definitely taking place.
The problem, of course, lies not merely in the sheer number – 15, by Gray’s count, when you include some of the youngsters – of players free to move on come the end of May. The real issue is uncertainty over what Hibs CAN do in the summer.
While losses of £7.1 million for the last financial year will be underwritten by the Gordon family, even cutting that deficit in half won’t put Hibs on a course to sustainability. Do the owners keep throwing money at the problem? Does billionaire Bournemouth owner Bill Foley find a way to either invest more hard cash or provide in-kind benefits via access to the Black Knight group’s player pool?
Foley has gone on record, of course, with his belief that Hibs should become the undisputed third force in Scottish football as a result of their tie-in with his portfolio of clubs. His view is that the money required to virtually guarantee access to European football via the Scottish Premiership is so insignificant, compared to the sums being spent in the Premier League, that it makes economic sense to speculate to accumulate.
As Gray points out, the best approach for any player approaching the end of his current contract is to double down on effort and performance. Earn yourself a new deal at Hibs or a better option elsewhere.
Let’s take a look, then, at some of the big names in limbo at the moment. How many would you keep, if possible?
1. Martin Boyle
Nobody’s saying as much. But there's a feeling the Socceroos star may well be off to the A-League once this season is through. He’ll go with the best wishes of everyone at Hibs, surely, given his contribution in two different spells with the club. | SNS Group
2. Lewis Miller
Talks are already underway between Hibs and a player with a lot of potential. Miller being out of the starting XI at the moment may affect those discussions, for both parties. | Getty Images
3. Chris Cadden
Signed a new deal in 2022 – but that expires at the end of May. Extremely reliable on the right side of the pitch, he’s blossomed in the wingback role. | SNS Group
4. Rocky Bushiri
‘Not yet,’ was how Rocky responded, on Friday night, when asked if there had been talks about extending his deal beyond the summer. A big earner, he’s scored a couple of priceless goals this season – and has probably played his best football as a central defender in the middle of the back three. | SNS Group