Malky Mackay has provided the latest update on Hibs winger Elie Youan amidst interest from other clubs. The Frenchman, who was set to leave this summer after attracting significant attention, had a £2 million offer from an unnamed French club, which Hibs considered a year after signing him permanently for about £750,000. Hibs now value him at around £2.5 million, and Mackay insists that Youan will stay at the club until their valuation is met. Stoke City from the English Championship has also shown interest.
Mackay stated, “He’s our player and an asset to the club, and he will remain so until we receive an offer that both he and we feel is right for him to leave.”
Regarding recruitment, Mackay explained that he will oversee the process in his new role, emphasizing his extensive experience from his time in England and at the Scottish FA. He noted that recruitment decisions would involve new manager David Gray’s input.
Mackay mentioned his past work with John Stephenson at Watford, where they developed a structured recruitment process aimed at minimizing the risk of players not working out. He aims for a success rate of seven out of ten in new signings. This approach was implemented at Cardiff and the Scottish FA, where they built a recruiting department and established talent ID courses.
He explained, “We aim to identify multiple players for each position, considering affordability, compatibility with the team, and potential, whether as starters, backups, or academy graduates. A group including David Gray will discuss the options, and no decisions will be made without David’s full involvement.”