Hibernian's attempts to strike a deal for former Easter Road striker Mykola Kukharevych could hinge on Swansea City's recruitment plans, with the English Championship side having signed just three players this summer despite 12 leaving in the close season. 

The 23-year-old scored five goals in 15 appearances in green and white during an injury-disrupted loan spell during the 2022/23 Scottish Premiership season, working under Lee Johnson who had current Hibs head coach David Gray in his backroom team. His performances resulted in Swansea bringing him to the Liberty Stadium on a permanent basis last summer, but he is yet to start a match for the Swans and has scored just once in 13 appearances, in a 3-0 victory at Millwall during which he came on as a half-time substitute. 

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Despite Kukharevych's lack of action so far in Wales, the Capital club are exploring the possibility of bringing the player back to Leith. 

Swansea, like Hibs, are short on attacking options so even though his last competitive involvement came as a 63rd-minute substitute in a 2-1 home defeat by Ipswich, manager Luke Williams is unlikely to green-light an exit for the Ukrainian unless reinforcements can be sourced ahead of their season opener against Middlesbrough on August 10. 

Gray currently has just one out-and-out centre-forward in his senior squad in Dylan Vente and although Hibs scored 14 goals in four Premier Sports Cup group games, plus a further nine in four friendly matches, the head coach has stressed the importance of bringing in more options in the final third - as long as they are the 'right ones'. 

"Obviously I'd rather have done it three to four weeks ago - we always want to do it as quickly as we can because the earlier you can get working with the players, the better - but we also know it needs to be the right person," he said, speaking after the 4-0 victory over Peterhead in the final league cup group match last weekend. 

"Would I like someone in before the weekend to give us strength and depth? One hundred per cent, but it's not as simple as that. There's hard work going on every day but it can't just be a number coming in, it has to be someone who enhances what we've already got," he added. 

Kukharevych is an option for Hibs, who badly need to beef up their striking options after selling Christian Doidge and Elias Melkersen during the 2023/24 campaign, and Kevin Nisbet in June last year. Veteran striker Adam Le Fondre also left in the summer while Josh O'Connor is on loan at Dundalk until January. 

Hibs are also understood to be speaking to Junior Hoilett's representatives. The Canadian international winger enjoyed a brief but productive spell at Aberdeen last season and would add an option out wide or in the ten role, with the 34-year-old having operated as a second striker for a number of clubs. Fulham's Scottish forward Kieron Bowie also remains on the club's radar but like Hoilett, would offer a different attacking profile to that of Kukharevych. 

Gray is likely to be without Élie Youan for Sunday's league curtain-raiser against St Mirren at the SMiSA Stadium while there are doubts over Harry McKirdy's availability after the former Swindon Town forward sat out the Peterhead game. Dylan Vente is expected to lead the line with Martin Boyle on the right flank and Rudi Molotnikov potentially starting on the left of the attacking midfield trio but beyond that, as things stand there isn't much else at Gray's disposal.