If the club manage to pull off just one signing this coming summer window on the calibre of the guys on this list then they’ll be doing very well indeed.
It’s hard to quantify what truly makes an exceptional signing in most cases, especially at a level where players routinely leave and arrive on free transfers. It’s generally just a vibe made up of a number of contributing factors, such as impact made, length of service, transfer fee spent, transfer fee received, whether they were immortalised by a trophy win etc.
These signings only go as far back as 2002, the first year of the transfer window as we now know it. It doesn’t include players signed as free agents after the window closed.
1. NUMBER TEN - Guillaume Beuzelin (2004)
A very classy player, he could dictate games with his passing from the centre of the park and was a real influential figure during the Tony Mowbray-John Collins era, where Hibs won a bit of silverware by lifting the League Cup. Also scored the crucial opener as Hibs ended Hearts' unbeaten start to the 2005/06 league campaign. Photo: SNS Group Bill Murray
2. NUMBER NINE - Kevin Nisbet (2020)
Exactly what you want to see a club doing: taking a gamble on a lower-league Scottish player for a couple of hundred thousand and selling him on a few years later for a couple of million after he's made a few memories. Didn't really have a huge connection with the support due to his best overall season coming during the lockout campaign of 2020/21, but goals in back-to-back derby games against Hearts towards the end of his spell helped that. Photo: Paul Devlin - SNS Group
3. NUMBER EIGHT - Derek Riordan (2008)
Easy to forget now, but there was such a buzz when Riordan returned to Hibs on deadline day following a frustrating two years at Celtic. He didn't quite reach the heights of his first spell, but he still scored over 40 goals in three seasons playing on the left of midfield for the most part. Also scored the only goal in a derby victory at Tynecastle. Photo: SNS Group Craig Williamson
4. NUMBER SEVEN - Rob Jones (2006)
Don't think it's unfair to say he was one of the weaker players on this list, but you can't argue with the signing. Brought in for about £150,000, played three seasons with the club, captained them to the 2007 League Cup final win (where he scored - after also netting a winner against Hearts en route to the final) and was sold to Scunthorpe for a profit. Had a catchy song about him too. Photo: SNS Group Alan Harvey