Hibernian

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Head coach David Gray revealed Hibernian have held positive talks as they bid to secure the services of Rocky Bushiri and Nectar Triantis for the upcoming season.

Both players were instrumental in helping the the Leith side finish third in the Scottish Premiership last term.

Centre-back Bushiri has been with Hibs since January 2022, but the 25-year-old is currently out of contract and weighing up his future.

"Rocky's season was prolonged by going away on international duty, so he's been away doing that," Gray told the Press Association.

"A couple of weeks off for him, a lot of positive talks in the meantime, and he's someone who did incredibly well for Hibs last season.

"Naturally, there will be interest in him from elsewhere, but as I said, there have been real positive talks on that one. It's certainly something we're trying to do and working towards."

Australian midfielder Triantis was one of four nominees for the Scottish Football Writers' Player of the Year award after excelling during his season-long loan from Sunderland, where he is contracted until 2027.

"His parent club obviously got promoted to the Premier League, so there are conversations going on there about what's next for Nectar," Gray added.

"Clearly, he's someone who was really, really good for us last year and someone you'd like to bring back.

"There are positive chats going on again, but sometimes it just takes a little bit longer and you need to make sure you're doing everything you can to try and replace him if he doesn't come back, or whatever we need to do."

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Dylan Vente's time at Hibernian did not work out as planned, says head coach David Gray, as the striker seals a permanent move away to Eredivisie side SC Heerenveen for a "significant fee".

The 26-year-old's arrival at Easter Road for a "notable fee" two years ago was described by the Leith club as part of a "significant investment in the playing squad".

But the forward went on to play just 43 games, scoring 11 goals, during his time at Hibs.

Vente spent the majority of last season on loan PEC Zwolle in the Dutch top flight and netted an impressive tally of 13 from 30 Eredivisie matches.

On his departure, Hibs boss Gray said: "Dylan performed well in the Eredivisie with PEC Zwolle last season and felt more comfortable back in his homeland, playing football with a smile on his face.

"His time at Hibs didn't quite work out the way we'd all planned, but I'd like to thank him for all his hard work and hope he goes on to achieve his ambitions and full potential."

Hibs sporting director Malky Mackay added: "There was a lot of interest in Dylan this summer after his performances last season, and he had a clear desire to continue playing and enjoying his football in the Eredivisie.

"We had to make sure we got the right deal for Hibernian, and after a number of conversations, we're happy with the deal we've got for him."

Opta have crunched the numbers to rank the difficulty of each Scottish Premiership club's first four fixtures of the 2025-26 season.

According to their data model, St Mirren have the toughest start, followed by two clubs helmed by new managers, Dundee and Motherwell.

As for the easiest, Hibernian and capital rivals Hearts should got off to a flier, right?

Take a look below to see where your side places...

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Aside from the first game of the season against Dundee, all dates are subject to change as a result of broadcast and other requirements.

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See Hibernian's full fixture list here

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The first Edinburgh derby of the 2025-26 Scottish Premiership season will take place on Saturday, 4 October.

David Gray's side make the cross-city trip to Tynecastle to face Hearts in a 15:00 BST kick-off a week after hosting champions Celtic.

Hibs' first home derby in the league is set to be a festive cracker on Saturday, 27 December at 12:30.

One week before that, they travel to take on Dundee United in their final league outing before Christmas. Gray's men see out 2025 with a home game against Aberdeen.

The final derby of the pre-split season is pencilled in for Wednesday, 11 February at 19:45 in Gorgie.

Hibs round off the pre-split campaign away to the Dons on Saturday, 11 April.

Looking at the fixtures, where do you think Hibs will be after 10 game? Tell us here.

Hibernian will travel to Dundee in their opening game of the 2025-26 Scottish Premiership season.

The match will take place on Sunday, 3 August at 15:00 BST, with Hibs' first home fixture against Kilmarnock on Saturday, 9 August at 15:00.

See Hibs' Scottish Premiership fixtures in full here.

Where do you think David Gray's side will be after 10 games and what do you make of how the fixtures have fallen? Tell us here.

Hibernian striker Dylan Vente has completed a medical ahead of a move to Dutch club Heerenveen and the 26-year-old will move for fee up to £900,000. (Sky Sports), external

Read the rest of Friday's Scottish gossip.

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No sooner does the season finish and we start looking forward to key dates for the next campaign - and that will be a lot easier to do on Friday when the Scottish Premiership fixtures are released.

That's right, that special day in the calendar is almost here already. The day when you'll learn details of derby fixtures, Christmas opponents and the run-in to the split.

This page will bring you all the fixtures when they drop at 09:00 BST on Friday and we'll be giving you the chance to have your say on how things look.

The new campaign kicks off on the weekend of Saturday, 2 August and will conclude on Sunday, 17 May 2026.

We asked for your views on Hibernian's tough Europa League qualifying assignment against Midtjylland.

Here's what some of you said:

Sandy: What a draw, bang in the centre of Denmark. Top drawer Danish club, Edinburgh to Copenhagen and two trains. So bit of a hike. We can get a result there, but I can hear the doomed brigade saying 'that's us out'. Nonsense, I say it's an honour to play in Europe and it's no different to playing Celtic, Rangers or Hearts, tough but winnable. Bring it on.

Alex: As much as I would love Hibs to progress, I think it's unlikely. These games always come too early in the season for Scottish teams and they are a quality side.

Alistair: We'll give it our best shot whoever we play. It's Europe. Let's just go for it. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Scott: To go through will be a tough ask, but not impossible. It's probably the equivalent of having to beat Rangers over two legs. Again, hard - but definitely do-able. If we can keep it tight in the first leg and get a draw in Denmark, I think we have enough about us to beat them at Easter Road. We will need to get a few signings in before the game though, Nectar Triantis returning and Rocky Bushiri agreeing a new contract would make me much more confident.

Conor: It'll be a tough tie, especially with them only losing out on the title by a point. But if we can get a decent result over there and bring it back to a packed Easter Road, then it should make for an interesting tie. But there will not be any disappointment if we do not progress, because we'll get a second bite at it falling into the Conference League third round qualifiers.

Heerenveen are hopeful of completing a deal for Hibernian striker Dylan Vente by the end of the week, with talks at an advanced stage and the Leith club expected to make a profit on the 26-year-old Suriname international who cost them around £700,000 in 2023 from Roda. (Sky Sports), external

Read Thursday's Scottish Gossip in full.

Daldeep Kaur
BBC Sport Scotland

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Hibs' Europa League qualifying opponents Midtjylland are owned by Denmark's richest man, Anders Holch Povlsen, who just happens to be Scotland's largest private landowner.

The four-times Danish champions are renowned for their data-driven and analytical style in player recruitment, development and tactics.

Midtjylland are managed by 50-year-old former player Thomas Thomasberg, who returned from Randers in March 2023 for a second spell in charge.

Despite six wins and a draw in their final seven Danish Superliga outings last season, Thomasberg's men were pipped to the title by FC Copenhagen, who finished a point clear.

On the European front, Midtjylland were beaten in the Champions League play-off round by Slovan Bratislava last term and dropped down to the Europa League.

A 20th-place finish in the league phase sent them through to the knockout stage play-offs where they succumbed to La Liga side Real Sociedad.

The Danes have faced Scottish opposition twice before. Rangers claimed a 7-3 aggregate win in the Europa League third qualifying round in 2019-20, while Midtjylland dispatched Celtic 3-2 over two legs in the Champions League second qualifying round in 2021-22.

Guinea-Bissau striker Franculino is a player Hibs should be wary of after the 20-year-old finished last season as the Danish club's top scorer with 16 goals in 41 appearances while also delivering six assists.

And Poland striker Adam Buksa, 28, had a fruitful first season after his £4m move from Lens, netting 15 times in 39 games.

Hibernian face a difficult task in Europa League qualifying after being paired with Danish Superliga runners-up Midtjylland.

The first leg of the second round qualifier will take place in Denmark on 24 July, with the return at Easter Road the following week.

Midtjylland lost the Superliga title by just a point to Copenhagen last term and finished 20th in the league phase of the Europa League.

They were then dumped out of the competition by La Liga side Real Sociedad in the knockout stage play-offs.

Hibs fans, we want your thoughts on the draw. Do you fancy your team's chances of progressing? Share your views here.

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Midtjylland, Anderlecht and Shakhtar Donetsk are among a refined group of potential opponents for Hibernian in today's (12:00 BST) Europa League draw.

David Gray's side are unseeded for the second round qualifying draw, meaning their narrowed-down possibilities are tough looking assignments.

Danish top-flight runners-up Midtjylland and Belgian club Anderlecht are two potential pairings, while Shakhtar could lie in wait if they get past Finnish outfit Ilves Tampere in their first-round qualifier.

On paper, the most favourable possibility looks to be the winner of the tie between Moldovan top-flight side Sheriff Tiraspol and Prishtina of Kosovo.

Discussions are ongoing between Heerenveen and Hibernian over Dylan Vente, with the Dutch club aiming to take the 26-year-old striker, who was on loan to Eredivisie rivals Zwolle last season, on a permanent deal. (Sky Sports), external

Read Wednesday's Scottish Gossip in full.

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A third-placed finish has renewed Hibernian's love affair with Europe.

There are plenty of ifs and buts for David Gray's Leith side in Wednesday's Europa League second round qualifying draw, with 12 possibilities.

Hibs are unseeded, with Anderlecht of Belgium, Portugal's Braga, Denmark's Midtjylland and Switzerland's Lugano among difficult potential opponents.

Ukraine's Shakhtar Donetsk or Finland's Ilves Tampere, Moldova's Sheriff Tiraspol or Kosovo's Prishtina, Poland's Legia Warsaw or Kazakhstan's Aktobe and Cyprus' Larnaca or Serbia's Partizan are other possibilities.

Uefa are likely to split the draw into two groups early on Wednesday morning and that would reduce the range of Hibs' potential match-ups.

Lose this tie and at least the third qualifying round of the Conference League is there as a consolation for Gray's men.

Eredivise club Heerenveen hope to sign Hibernian striker Dylan Vente after the 26-year-old impressed on loan to Zwolle. (Leeuwarder Courant), external

Read Tuesday's Scottish gossip

Get it onto Martin Boyle's right foot and things will be alright...

No player scored more right-footed goals than the Hibernian attacker's 12.

He netted 15 in total as David Gray's side finished third.

Celtic's Adam Idah also found the net 12 times with his right, while Ross County's Ronan Hale did so 11 times.

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The SPFL confirmed attendances have risen for a third consecutive season and thanked fans for their "incredible support".

Crowds across all leagues, cups and play-off matches totalled more than 5.3 million, a rise of nearly 185,000 from the 2023-24 season.

"We will be having further meetings with key stakeholders over the summer to review the most recent season and look ahead to 2025-26," the SPFL statement ends.

"We remain committed to ensuring a safe and enjoyable matchday experience for players and supporters - they are the lifeblood of our game and deserve nothing less."