'What we've got to try to do' - Lee Johnson gives update on Hibs permanent transfer for Élie Youan

Lee Johnson has dropped his heaviest hint yet that Hibs will take up their option to buy forward Élie Youan on a permanent contract.

The Frenchman, who is on a season-long loan from Swiss side St.Gallen, scored his seventh goal of the season when he notched an early opener in the 2-1 victory over St Mirren on Saturday, earning praise from his manager as well as boosting Hibs’ hopes of European football next season and their efforts to finish as high up the table as possible.

Youan now has 14 goal contributions in 32 cinch Premiership matches and although it took the 24-year-old a while to hit the goal trail for the Capital club, he is looking like a shrewd piece of business and provides a threat centrally or on the flank.

Asked for an update on the player’s situation regarding a permanent switch, Johnson said: “It's difficult for me to talk about his contract but we do have an option to buy. Every negotiation is different. Some are done in advance and then put in a drawer, and some still need to be done. Obviously that's not my bag, that's for the CEO to deal with.”

Élie Youan scored his seventh goal of the season against St Mirren

Hailing the forward’s performance against the Buddies while also admitting that he could be frustrating at times, Johnson appeared to suggest that Hibs would indeed be activating Youan’s buyout clause, as he talked about developing the player ‘so we can sell him’.

"Élie can frustrate the life out of us at times but he's also got that real threat about him and can peg a team back and he can run all day,” the Easter Road boss said. “He's got quite unique attributes so we just need to keep developing him. He's still young. If he put it all together we wouldn't have him – that's what we've got to try to do before we sell him!

"He showed both sides on Saturday, and we expect that from our wingers. You've got to work hard. I'm pretty critical when they don't so when they do it's fantastic. We call it a ball thief when they nick it on the way back in. Élie's earned his rest over the weekend because of the physical effort he has put in, and that's what he has got to do.”