The return of Flo Kamberi has got the Hibs fans juices flowing and after a quiet close season so far it appears things are beginning to heat up on the transfer front.
Securing the Swiss striker on a 3 year deal is a masterstroke as is getting him for a paltry £150,000. The boy can play football and clearly Grasshoppers realised they’d made a mistake when they quoted Sunderland €2m in the hope Hibs reneged on the pre arranged deal made at the time of the initial loan.
Hibees don’t expect him to hang around for the full duration of his contract but can foresee the lad gaining the club a huge profit when he does move on.
With Kamberi signed and sealed it’ll be interesting to see who Neil Lennon moves for next.
Word on the street is Dylan McGeouch will return to ply his trade next season having decided his future remains at Easter Road despite interest from clubs South of the border.
Having forced his way into the Scotland set up during the final six months of the campaign the classy midfielder will look to build upon the most productive spell of his career and should he prolong his stay at the club then he’ll be welcomed back with open arms.
McGeouch was the player of the year last season and securing his services for even a further 12 months would be a huge boost for the entire club.
The likelihood of Scott Allan turning out for the Hibees next season will depend greatly on his current club Celtic. The midfield maestro is miles away from the Champions first team with Brendan Rodgers confirming he won’t stand in the player’s way of a move but one gets the feeling Celts may play hardball in the hope of using Allan as a makeweight in any proposed deal for John McGinn.
Peter Lawell and Hibs counterpart Rod Petrie are known for refusing to blink when it comes to transfer deals so let’s hope either one softens their stance to push the permanent return of a genuine talent through prior to Hibees Europa League campaign.
Ex St Mirren star Stevie Mallan is another strongly linked with a move back to Scotland with Neil Lennon said to be interested in bringing the player to Easter Road but any move for the Barnsley man may hinge on the outcome of the McGeouch/McGinn/Allan triumvirate.
Mallan has endured a frustrating time in South Yorkshire but impressed whenever he turned out for Saints against Hibs and is more than capable of holding his own in the Premiership.
Having seen Jamie MacLaren return to parent club Darmstadt the hope of seeing him turning out in the green and white again seems to be fading and having been included in the Australian squad for the World Cup it’s likely he’d be priced out of Hibs range should he have fancied teaming up with Kamberi again.
Despite young Oil Shaw’s breakthrough as a first team player last season Lennon is likely to be searching for a more experienced campaigner to partner the Swiss striker although as such no speculation has been forthcoming.
