Hibs boss Mixu Paatelainen in talks with transfer targets

Last updated : 28 June 2008 By Steve Forbes

mixunewboss.jpg picture by 1875steve

Hibs boss Mixu Paatelainen has revealed that the Hibees are holding talks with a number of players over possible summer transfers to Easter Road.

So far the Hibees have only signed full back David Van Zanten from St Mirren on a three-year-deal following a pre-contract agreement.

Paatelainen has also been linked with his former international team mate and striker partner Jonatan Johansson who currently plays for FF Malmo in
Sweden, but big Mixu has described it as "pure speculation".

The Hibees boss has, however, admitted that he is in discussions with a number of players, he said:

"We want to improve and strengthen the squad. I do feel there are areas in our squad and team we need to strengthen.

"We are in talks with good players but I don't want to go into names.

"It's not grocery shopping we're doing, where you go and pick your stuff.

"It's not totally in our hands, we have to negotiate and make sure the player is happy. If the player is currently playing with another club we will have to negotiate with the other club first and that takes time.

"You get setbacks as well. You might have targeted players early on and gone for them and negotiated for a while and then it falls through. That might happen, it's not plain sailing.

"We have had setbacks but that is always the case, whether you are Real Madrid or Hibs there are always setbacks.

"But I've always said the world is full of players and we just need to dig deep and make sure the players that arrive are the right ones to improve our squad."

Let's hope the board back the manager with some cash to bring quality to an already decent squad.

Thanks once again to Alan Rennie and the Hibernian Interactive team for the use of the photo.

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