The transfer window kicked into life at Hibs last week with the addition of three new faces.

Multiple departures at the end of last season had left a gaping hole at the foundation of David Gray's squad, but the arrivals of goalkeeper Josef Bursik plus centre-back duo Warren O'Hora and Marvin Ekpiteta have been a welcome start to what's expected to be a busy summer. The heart of defence has been an issue longer than Hibs fans would care to remember.

The burden fell on Rocky Bushiri partnered with Manchester United loanee Will Fish for the vast majority of the 2023/24 campaign, with Paul Hanlon playing a back-up role, and January loan signing Nectar Triantis faring far better in midfield. Options were so scarce at one stage that Jordan Obita was forcibly shifted inwards from left-back to cover on one occasion, and it always going to be a high priority area to address once the summer commenced.

In O'Hora and Ekpiteta, Hibs have added experience. Experience in terms of games played at senior level - they have 449 first-team appearances between them - but also in taking on leadership roles. Both have worn the captain's armband at previous clubs, and there's been a recurring theme in how Gray and sporting director Malky Mackay have referenced 'character' as being a key tenet of the ongoing recruitment drive. Being the right person, as well as the right player, has taken on significant importance.

Purely as players, though, they should have plenty to offer.

O'Hora has been characterised as a mobile, modern-day centre-back comfortable in taking and distributing the ball, and was most often deployed on the right of a back three at MK Dons. He averaged 8.47 progressive passes per-90 minutes, with a 75% accuracy. Speaking to MK Dons expert Liam Connolly last week, we were given the impression of a centre-back who is highly confident in possession, and his ability to affect the game with the ball.

Having watched their team concede so many cheap goals last season, though, Hibs fans are perhaps more interested in whether O'Hora can defend.

He won 74% of his defensive duels last term, and averaged 9.96 successful defensive actions per-90 minutes. His StatsBomb radar below suggests a well-rounded centre-back who is dominant in the air, makes blocks, and gives away very few fouls.

(Image: StatsBomb)

His stats bear some resemblance to Hanlon's 2023/24 return. Despite his relative lack of involvement, StatsBomb numbers still placed the club legend as Hibs' best all-round centre-back, and among the best in the Scottish Premiership.

(Image: StatsBomb)

The proof only comes when he takes to the pitch, of course, but O'Hora looks, on paper, a sensible signing to address a problem position. As stated, he also appears well-suited to step into the leadership role Hibs will require of him. Former MK Dons manager Russell Martin - now at Southampton in the Premier League - was effusive in his praise of O

"He’s a physical and powerful player, and he can use the ball really well too," Martin said upon signing him for MK. "Most importantly, though, we received incredible character references for him — everyone we spoke to about him mentioned his leadership skills."

Alongside him, Ekpiteta will be expected to bring more of the same. At 28, Hibs could just be getting him in his prime, and he describes himself as eager to set standards.

“I like to lead by example, in terms of my effort and how I carry myself both off the pitch and on the pitch," he told Hibs TV. "I am a player who gives his all, constantly. I am aggressive in both boxes and I just love to defend. That is my job so that is my main priority."

Ekpiteta's StatsBomb numbers from last season at Blackpool could not scream 'no nonsense defender' any louder.

(Image: StatsBomb)

The above clearly shows a player who puts defending first - wins aerial balls, makes clearances and blocks, doesn't get dribbled past often, and doesn't give away many fouls. Gray has perhaps heard the accusations that last season's Hibs were 'too soft' and decided to recruit a player whose top priority is keeping the ball out of his own goal.  On the other hand, Ekpiteta's in-possession numbers suggest supporters should not expect a ball-playing centre-back who will make line-breaking passes or step out and carry the ball through midfield. They can, though, expect a player who will defend at all costs. Gray has spoken of the need to be adaptable as being highly important to him, and with O'Hora and Ekpiteta he has recruited two centre-backs who can do different things. 

Of those who were around last season, Ekpiteta's stats are perhaps most comparable to Will Fish, shown below.

(Image: StatsBomb)

They posted similar numbers for aerial win percentages, as well as blocked shots and clearances. That's not to say that they are all too similar, stylistically; fans can expect more of an all-action style from Ekpiteta, who enjoys biting into tackles and initiating physical battles with opposition forwards. He certainly seems, on paper, to be a player positively pre-disposed to the rigours of the Premiership.

Scooping up free agents from the EFL can sometimes stoke cynicism among supporters, but both players appear to have moved on from their respective clubs because of a desire to ply their trade a higher level, not because they were deemed surplus to requirements. Both are being integrated into Gray's squad this week in the Netherlands, and there's considerable interest in how the new head coach will set up his backline.

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Both O'Hora and Ekpiteta have experience operating in a back three. But even if that's not how Gray primarily envisages his team setting up - he deployed a 4-2-3-1/4-3-3 against Edinburgh City - it again comes back to his desire to be adaptable. Several Premiership teams play three at the back, but last season Hibs did not have the flexibility in system and personnel to match that up if the situation demanded it. Gray tried Lewis Miller at centre-back at the weekend, and he's another potential option if Hibs want to experiment with a back three. On the flanks, there's certainly an argument that Chris Cadden could be more comfortable operating as a wing-back, while on the other side Jordan Obita has the engine to play that role. It often felt as though Hibs were failing to get the most out of Obita as an attacking outlet last season.

Signing O'Hora and Ekpiteta helps  address what was a problem position for Hibs, long before this summer. Whether they can be the absolute solution remains to be seen.