Pat Fenlon hopes to extend Leigh Griffiths’ Hibs stay

By ANTHONY BROWN
Published on 21/11/2012 12:06

PAT FENLON insists Hibs will do all they can to extend Leigh Griffiths’ love affair with the club beyond January.

Along with team-mates Ryan McGivern and Jorge Claros – on loan from Manchester City and Motagua respectively – Griffiths’ latest stint at Easter Road expires at the turn of the year when he is due to return to Wolves.

The Midlands club have no desire to keep the red-hot hitman, whose contract expires in the summer, but they are well aware that his goals-rush allows them the opportunity to try and at least recoup the £150,000 they paid for him.

Molineux manager Stale Solbakken indicated last week that the Midlands club would look to sell Griffiths in January, which had appeared to count against Hibs.

Fenlon, however, insists he has not given up hope of either extending Griffiths’ loan deal or signing him permanently, and insisted efforts to keep him at the club he supported as a boy are already well under way.

“I’m none the wiser about the Griffiths situation at the moment but discussions have been ongoing,” confirmed the Hibs manager. “We are working to keep Leigh, Ryan and Jorge, but when we have something to say about it, we’ll let everyone know as soon as possible. We’ll do our best to make sure we keep them, though. We want all three to stay and I think they all want to stay.”

Fenlon expects to have James McPake available for Saturday’s visit of Aberdeen after the captain missed the last two games with a back injury, but Tim Clancy is set to remain sidelined with a groin problem.

Meanwhile Hibs Under-20s beat Falkirk 1-0 at Linlithgow last night courtesy of a goal by Danny Handling.