Nick Montgomery puts 18 Hibs players on axe red alert as boss reveals merciless transfer plan

Hibs are prioritising experience over all else as Nick Montgomery revealed their summer transfer plans - which could see as many as EIGHTEEN players axed.

The Easter Road side currently have 18 players loaned out and their squad of players signed for next season is one of the biggest in the country. Among those returning for pre-season will be Dylan Tait (Falkirk), Dan MacKay (Livingston) and Nohan Kenneh (Shrewsbury), and many of them will be shown the door as the boss insists there is no room for passengers.

He also plans to pivot away from 'project players' in favour of building a team ready to win right away. He told the Edinburgh Evening News : “Look, the reality is people put a big expectation and pressure on Hibs. You need players who can cope with that pressure. Ultimately, that does reduce the number of players in your squad, players I feel are capable of playing for the first team and are able to consistently cope with the pressure you get at bigger clubs.

“When you walk in and see that, you hope that some players have been out on loan and have impressed enough that you can help them on their journey into professional football, whether it’s down south or starting in the lower leagues in Scotland. That’s something you can always be proud of, as a club. But it’s a challenge, as well, because the budget is the budget. Within that, reducing and having quality over quantity is something we’ve spoken about as a club. I think everybody now has the same understanding that it’s where the club needs to go.

“That’s nothing against decisions in the past, like having development players. But it doesn’t always work out. The club has an understanding that we need to bring quality in, so we have put out a starting team – plus