Hibernian return for Mykola as last summer continues to unwind

Yet another one of last summer’s transfer dealings is set to end with a relatively early departure from SA1 with the reports that Mykola Kukharevych is a target for Hibs ahead of the start of the Scottish Premiership season.

Kukharevych was one of thirteen new additions to the squad last summer and, even if the Hibs interest does not turn into anything more concrete, is another one of those that just highlights how bad the business done was by Andy Coleman and Paul Watson in their first transfer window together.

With the exception of Josh Key, Nathan Broome, Josh Ginnelly and Josh Tymon it can easily be said that every one of the transfers inwards we made last summer could easily not be here when the new season starts in just under a week although the futures of Kristian Pedersen and Nathan Tjoe-A-On are still unknown but seemingly unlikely that they have long term futures at Swansea City.

Kukharevych spent an injury-affected loan spell at Hibs in season 2022-23, bagging five goals in just ten starts and caught the eye of now manager David Gray who was part of the coaching set up at the time.

It should not be forgotten as well that the Swans paid decent money to bring Mykola to South Wales which, given the nature of our finances, looks an even more incredibly negligent decision given that he failed to make a single start for the Swans last season and notched just one goal in thirteen substitute appearances in a 3-0 win at Millwall at the end of September.

There were several theories behind his absence from the side but ultimately it comes down to the fact that Luke Williams clearly does not rate a player who he gave just one substitute appearance to – at home to Ipswich in February.

The Edinburgh Evening News reports that Mykola is one of a few strkers under consideration by Hibs ahead of their season opener but given the need for them to move before the season starts and a pretty clear message sent last season that the Swans do not want to retain the striker there would be no surprise if we saw him depart in the next 48 hours.

His departure would leave the Swans even thinner up front then they currently are and, with just over a week until the season starts, it would leave just Liam Cullen to lead the line and adds to the warning signals that we referenced in our piece on Monday.   The need to bring in at least one new striker is immediate and the faith that anyone places in Coleman and Watson reduces day by day.  It is true that the players we have bought in appear, on the face of it, to be good additions but let’s also not lose sight of the fact that many thought we had done good business last summer when the window closed.   And look how that turned out for us.

The pressure mounts and the silence from the office of the Chairman becomes more conspicuous by its absence every day!