Hibs hope to tie up a loan deal for Harry Clarke in the next 48 hours as Shaun Maloney kicks off his January transfer business.
The Arsenal defender is due in Scotland for a medical with the Hibees on Tuesday morning, just days after the Gunners brought his loan at Ross County to an early end.
All going well the 20-year-old will sign a loan deal until the end of the season - and the Easter Road club could then move to make his move permanent with his Arsenal contract expiring in the summer.
Maloney is also keen on Bodo/Glimt striker Elias Melkerson with a £300,000 offer on the table for the player who netted 17 times on loan at Ranheim last season.
Celtic midfielder Ewan Henderson, who the new boss worked with while in charge of the Hoops development squad, is another on the radar.
But Hibs have distanced themselves from reports in Scandinavia suggesting Valerenga playmaker Osame Sahraoui was set to move to Leith.
The capture of Clarke however looks a certainty after the powerful forward-thinking defender caught the eye in a pre-season friendly at Easter Road with Arsenal before moving to Dingwall.
Equally comfortable at centre-half or right-back, the youngster hit three goals in 17 appearances for the Staggies before being recalled by the Gunners at the weekend.
That paved the way for the move to Leith where the former England Under-17s cap is likely to replace the suspended Ryan Porteous in the first instance when the Premiership returns in two weeks’ time.
Meanwhile, Hibs have handed defender Jack Brydon a new deal through to 2023 before sending the 18-year-old out on loan to Edinburgh City.
Summer signing Dylan Tait returned from his loan spell at Raith Rovers and is set to fight for a place in the Hibs midfield under Maloney.
