New Hibs boss Mixu Paataleinen seeks talks with Killie striker Colin Nish

Last updated : 10 January 2008 By Steve Forbes
Hibs new manager Mixu Paataleinen is keen to enter talks with Kilmarnock striker Colin Nish in the next 24 hours.

Mixu will meet with his agent in an attempt to lure the die-hard Hibee to Easter Road before the Inverness Caledonian Thistle cup game on Saturday.

Nish is out of contract at the end of the season and could be signed on a pre-contract agreement, but Hibs will be hopeful of securing the player for a nominal fee during this transfer window.

The
Kilmarnock striker's agent, former Hibs goalkeeper Jim McArthur, is expecting a call from big Mixu at any time.

Hibs could secure Nish in January with a bid of around £100,000 for the 6ft 4in forward.

Paataleinen is hoping to secure
Nish and former Hibs captain Ian Murray on loan from Norwich City until the end of the season before the weekend.

Killie boss Jim Jeffries is on the lookout for a new striker admitting Hibs are about to pounce, he said:

"Hibs were good enough to give us a courtesy call to say they would be in talks with his agent with a possibility of a pre-contract.

"There is nothing wrong with that that is what any player is entitled to do.

"Sometimes you can go elsewhere and get a couple of extra pounds and sometimes it might not be the right move.

"While he seems happy with the contract, you have always got a little bit of hope but I don't know what happens nowadays.

"It's the agent that runs the players, in this case he seems to be telling him what to do.

If somebody makes me a good offer for a player who is out of contract then I would consider it, that is for anybody.

"But if I don't get that then I am in no hurry. I wouldn't see the money anyway so it is pretty irrelevant to me.

"We have already pulled in £1.9million for (Steven) Naismith so it's maybe better having the player.

"I'm not actively trying to push Colin Nish out the door because I don't want to.

"I've made him an offer, he says he is happy with it, he says he likes it here and doesn't want to leave, so I'm a bit confused."

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