Elias Melkersen: Hibernian sell striker to Stromsgodset for more than £1m
- Published
Elias Melkerson started 2023 on loan to Sparta Rotterdam
Hibernian have sold Elias Melkersen to Stromsgodset for more than £1m after the 20-year-old forward's loan spell with the Norwegian top-flight club.
The Norway Under-21 international, who joined the Scottish Premiership side from Bodo/Glimt in January 2022, has signed a five-year contract.
Hibs chief executive Ben Kensell said: "We are delighted with the fee."
The seven-figure amount "is significantly greater than the original figure that brought him to the club".
It also includes "a significant sell-on" fee for the striker who had been under contract until summer 2026.
Melkersen made 32 appearances for Hibs, scoring three goals, but he was sent out on loan to Sparta Rotterdam in January and, following their relegation from the Dutch top flight, switched to Stromsgodset.
He started all 12 games back in his homeland, scoring four goals as the Gulskogen side finished seventh in the 2023 Eliteserien.
"During his time with us, and out on loan, Elias continued to develop, which is why we've been able to agree this excellent fee for him," Kensell told Hibs' website.
"This transfer is another example of us developing young players that then go on to generate greater and meaningful fees that we can reinvest into the club and the first-team playing squad, which was always part of our model."
Melkersen told Stromsgodset's website "it feels absolutely fantastic" to stay at a club "where I can enjoy myself and play good football" and that he had high hopes for next term after a strong finish to the 2023 season.
"At the age I am, I have to play as many games as possible in order to develop as much as possible and I have felt the trust I need at Godset," he said.
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