HIBS manager Mixu Paatelainen has insisted that he wants Abdessalam Benjelloun to return from loan in January and add to his already plentiful attacking options.
The Moroccan internationalist was farmed out to Belgian side Charleroi in August after allowing his frustrations at a lack of first-team opportunities affect his on-field performances.
The 23-year-old saw last term wrecked by injuries and the
effects of fasting during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, managing only one goal in the entire campaign after netting 14 the season before.
Speaking to supporters at Monday night's annual general meeting, Paatelainen also called into question the striker's attitude whenever he was handed a chance to impress with a place in the starting line-up.
However, the Easter Road manager has praised Benjelloun's footballing ability and, in contrast to sentiments attributed recently to the north African himself, is adamant he hopes the player returns to the capital and fulfils his undoubted potential.
He said: "Benji was frustrated because he didn't start enough matches for his liking, due to my selections. I must be honest, every time I started with Benji I was disappointed with his work-rate.
"What a fantastic footballer he is, powerful, technically gifted and a good finisher. Unfortunately we didn't see that out on the pitch on a Saturday.
"Hence, I started other players and used Benji from the bench, hoping the real Benji would come through. He got frustrated and we found a solution by Benji going to Belgium on loan.
"But hopefully he comes back and shows that real Benji that we know because he is a tremendous striker."
Should Benjelloun return to Hibs, he would add to what amounts to almost an embarrassment of riches already available to Paatelainen.
The Finn fielded the three-pronged strike-force of Derek Riordan, Steven Fletcher and Colin Nish for the first time against Aberdeen on Saturday and was rewarded when a double from Riordan secured a 2-1 victory.
With Dean Shiels and Fabian Yantorno able to provide support from midfield, winger Alan O'Brien currently out injured and Steven Pinau on loan from Genoa, the Easter Road outfit are not short of choices in the final third of the pitch.
Paatelainen's satisfaction with his strikers also appears to stretch to the other end of the pitch and his often-maligned goalkeepers.
The Hibs manager is due to assess trialist shot-stopper Khalid Sinouh in a closed-door match this week but insists his search for another keeper should not be seen as a slight on current incumbent Yves Ma-Kalambay and back-up Andrew McNeil.
He feels the young pair, who have both made high-profile mistakes in the past, have been unfairly criticised and are simply in need of more competition.
He added: "I do feel the goalkeepers' position needs strengthening. People take the conclusion from that that we will bring in an exceptional goalkeeper who will straight away be number one. But it's the competition I want in the goalkeepers.
"At the moment we have two very good goalkeepers. I feel they have been wrongly criticised as not being good enough for the SPL. I disagree with that totally.
"They are good goalkeepers. We have had loads of trialists and I haven't seen a better goalkeeper yet. That, to me, is an indication that our goalkeepers are not bad.
"For example, on Saturday, Ma-Kalambay had a fantastic match. But I feel that we still want to strengthen that department, for competition's sake."
In addition, Paatelainen has set his sights on adding a midfield playmaker to his squad – someone capable of filling the boots of the departed Guillaume Beuzelin – and also a right winger. Despite having recruited ten new players since his arrival in January, Paatelainen has been promised the support of the board, who have been keen to trumpet their decision to back the return of Riordan last month.
Chief executive Scott Lindsay commented: "The bold move to bring Derek back to the club was seen by some as a statement of intent. It is. We want to compete, we want to win and we will support Mixu as he strives for the success that we all want."
The full article contains 711 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
