Hibs head coach David Gray has stated that work is “ongoing” as the club looks to bring in new players, emphasizing that anyone who joins will need to add “value” to the team.
Since taking over as Hibs boss last month, Gray has brought in Club Brugge goalkeeper Josef Bursik on loan and strengthened his central defensive options with the arrivals of Warren O’Hora from MK Dons and Marvin Ekpiteta from Blackpool.
The Hibees had been heavily linked with their former striker Simon Murray, but the 32-year-old joined Dundee from Ross County earlier this week. Gray currently has Dylan Vente as his only out-and-out No. 9. With an increased transfer budget this summer following fresh investment from Bill Foley’s Black Knight consortium, Hibs are expected to remain active in the summer transfer window.
Gray declined to comment specifically on the Murray situation, saying, “Simon was a Ross County player before and now he’s a Dundee player, I don’t really want to talk about players that aren’t coming to this football club, or are contracted to this football club.” However, ahead of the club’s Premier Sports Cup group-stage opener away at Elgin City on Saturday, the head coach provided an update on potential new arrivals.
Hibs head coach David Gray has emphasized the club’s continuous efforts to strengthen the squad, stressing that any new arrivals must add “value” to the team.
“That’s something we’re looking at all the time,” said Gray. “We want to improve the squad as much as we can, as often as we can. The work is always ongoing.
“My full focus just now is on Elgin, and once we’re past that there will be more conversations. It’s something that naturally happens in the transfer window; the squad will evolve and there’ll be ins and outs.
“The objective is to strengthen the team as much as we can in places where we feel it needs it. I’m sure we’ll keep working towards that.
“It’s more about what that is – the type of person, what they would add. Everyone coming to the football club needs to add value, because we have some really good footballers at the club.
“The squad we’ve got is one we’re working well with every day, and anyone that’s brought into it has to enhance that. It has to be the aim that everyone we bring to the football club adds value, and that’s more important than saying ‘I need five, I need six’. It’s all about the opportunity and how that presents itself.”
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Hibs head coach David Gray is set to hand debuts to new signings Josef Bursik, Warren O’Hora, and Marvin Ekpiteta in their Premier Sports Cup group-stage opener against Elgin City at Borough Briggs. However, forward Harry McKirdy is likely to miss out due to a minor issue.
“It’s pretty much a full squad,” said Gray. “Harry McKirdy’s still a little bit tight so we’re going to be a wee bit more conservative over him. But it’s days rather than weeks, so it’s just about managing his minutes more than anything else. Everybody else should be OK.”
On the match against Elgin, Gray added: “We’re really looking forward to it. The final preparations have gone well, and we’ve gotten a lot out of the pre-season games. It’s all been geared up towards this game, which is the first competitive one of the season.
“We’ve watched them a few times, which is vital. We don’t take any opposition lightly. It’s a different test for the players, a different challenge. We’ll be favourites, but it’s an opportunity for them to impose themselves on a club like Hibs.
“They’ve got a manager that likes to play expansive football, which is great. I expect them to have a go at us because it’s almost a free hit for them. They want an upset in the cup, and we need to guard against that.”