Hibs to battle for clearance to make Vaz Te signing

Hibs will today step up their bid to slice through the red tape which has prevented Ricardo Vaz Te becoming Colin Calderwood's seventh signing.

Calderwood is keen to snap up the former Bolton Wanderers striker on a short-term contract after the 24-year-old impressed during a prolonged trial period at Easter Road.

But he's found his move frustrated by paperwork with the former Portuguese Under-21 star's last club being Greek outfit Panionis. Vaz Te headed for Greece last summer, signing a three-year deal, but became a free agent after negotiating his release.

As such, he is free to sign for another club despite the transfer window being shut and Calderwood is keen to add him to his raft of January signings, Matt Thornhill, Victor Palsson, Martin Scott, Richie Towell, Akpo Sodje and Jakub Divis.

However, Calderwood today admitted "legislation" had proved a stumbling block, saying: "We like what we have seen so far and we are hoping we can conclude something although it is not done yet.

"We are hoping to come to an agreement with him but there's the legalities of getting his registration from Greece."

As Calderwood prepares to add to his squad again, goalkeeper Graham Stack, one of more than a dozen current players nearing the end of their contracts, today vowed to "play out of his skin" in an effort to convince his manager to offer him a new deal.

Stack's return to action after a five-month absence with a back injury has coincided with Hibs clocking up four straight wins to all but end talk of relegation, the only goal conceded by him being a highly contentious penalty.

But while admitting he doesn't know what the future holds with Calderwood having taken the opportunity to play all three goalkeepers he inherited from his predecessor John Hughes, Stack said: "As long as I can come away from every game thinking I could not have done a lot more then I am sure I will be in a good position long-term to stay in the side.

"I just want to play football matches, that was my reason for coming up here to Hibs. I've been here one-and-a-half years, it's been up and down a bit with injuries but I am very fond of the club and the place.

"I am going to play out of my skin between now and the end of the season, and if that means being offered a deal here then brilliant. If not then it's time to move on. I have dealt with that before."

Calderwood has given little away regarding the contract situation surrounding so many of his players but while delighted with the goals from Callum Booth and Lewis Stevenson which earned Hibs their win over Inverness Caley, he also pointed out the goalkeeper had played his part in saying: "Don't forget we were indebted to two or three very good saves and interceptions by Stack."