Hibs head coach Paul Heckingbottom has offered an insight into challenges of the transfer market after claiming English League Two clubs can gazump the Leith outfit.
Heckingbottom made the concession as he discussed Marc McNulty joining Sunderland, who play in the third tier south of the border, on loan from Reading.
Hibs had been keen to re-sign the 26-year-old following the success of a temporary spell that saw the marksman score eight goals and earn his first Scotland caps during the second half of last season.
Nevertheless, Heckingbottom’s summer recruitment drive has been a successful one, with the former Leeds United and Barnsley boss espousing the positives of the Scottish game in persuading six of his seven new arrivals to cross the border.
“There is one thing that is maybe not appreciated here, but there are some League Two clubs whose budgets would blow us out of the way,” remarked Heckingbottom, whose side can confirm a place in the last 16 of the Betfred Cup with victory at Elgin City this evening.
“Sometimes it is crazy. It’s not new to me, I had it when I was at Barnsley in the Championship.
“It is what it is but we’ve signed some really, really good players who had better financial offers elsewhere but wanted to come here because of the club, how we want to work, the style of football we want to play, the league, some of the opposition.
“It’s not a negative, all we can do is be as good as we can and go for the best possible players.
“If we get them, they’ll have come for the right reasons.
“I can understand this one as well, with Sparky going to Sunderland.
“Because of the size of the club, I would expect them to be up there challenging next year in League One and then looking longer term at Sunderland in the Championship.”
