David Gray confident Hibs financial results won't impact transfer plans

Hibernian head coach David Gray doesn’t believe the club’s latest financial results will have a negative impact on his squad – and he says he’s excited about working to improve the group this summer.

The Easter Road club released their annual accounts last week, with a loss of £7.2m posted and a rise in staff costs of £2m.

Hibs were busy in the transfer market last summer, bringing in ten new faces, but had a quiet January window with just one arrival in the shape of Alasana Manneh and five players leaving the club.

Gray has appreciated the signings made as he looks to lift the team’s fortunes and says there has always been an awareness of the size and costs of the squad.

“When you think of the number being where it is, it’s probably due to the support I got at the start of the season,” he said. “To back me and to give me every possible chance.

“The number of players that are out of contract at the end of the season were still going to be out of contract at the start of the season in future planning.

“It was also something I talked about at the start of the January window. It’s not a case of just signing players for now, it was always about the longer term, seeing what was coming around the corner and knowing players would naturally be moving on.”

The head coach says that the position will naturally change at the end of the season when players reach the end of their deal or look to move on but he is “excited” at the prospect of adding new faces and talent to his squad.

“With the amount of players that are going to be out of contract, the wage bill is naturally going to come down because of the number of players,” he said.

“We’re still in a very, very good position.

“I’m excited about what can be done to try and improve the group. The work has gone on and the future planning conversations we’ve already had about where we can get the squad by the start of next season.

“Clearly my focus though is on the end of the season and finishing as strongly as we can.

“Everything we set out to do is still achievable.”