Decision on Jorge Claros future at Hibs is imminent

The Easter Road outfit have been locked in lengthy talks with Claros’ parent club Motagua for some time as they seek to extend his year-long loan  until the end of the season.

Those negotiations, like those to retain Leigh Griffiths and Ryan McGivern, have been led by chairman Rod Petrie, but while he’s been able to agree to keep the Wolves striker and Manchester City defender in Edinburgh, he has so far been unable to strike a similar deal for Claros.

Although the 27-year-old has told both Hibs and Motagua he wants to stay in Scotland, his wife Elsa and their son Johann having joined the player in the Capital, he still has 18 months of his contract with the Central American club to run and they are understood to be seeking a fee to allow him to depart on a permanent basis.

Fenlon, however, has admitted Hibs are in no position to pay a fee in revealing St Johnstone’s Liam Craig was likely to remain at McDiarmid Park until the end of the season with the Easter Road side unable to find the money to force an early release for a player who has signed a pre-contract agreement with them.

Claros’ future will, though, determine Fenlon’s thinking over the final ten days of the transfer window with the signing of a wide player a priority. Fenlon admitted the suspended Paul Cairney was missed in Saturday’s disappointing draw with Dundee on a day in which Ivan Sproule scored twice on his debut for Ross County.

Hibs are due to face Sproule’s new side in Dingwall next Wednesday but by then Claros could no longer be at Fenlon’s disposal, his loan deal due to run out the previous day.

Revealing the situation regarding Claros hasn’t changed significantly in the last few days, Fenlon said: “It’s still where it was. It’s been left with the chairman to see if we can sort it out and hopefully by the time I see him early this week he will have something sorted.”