Thursday, March 28, 2024
SportHibsEaster Road favourite Stephane Omeonga reveals he is desperate to seal permanent...

Easter Road favourite Stephane Omeonga reveals he is desperate to seal permanent return to Hibs

STEPHANE OMEONGA has told Hibernian chiefs that he wants to return to Easter Road on a permanent basis next season.

Omeonga, 24, remains contracted to Genoa until the summer of 2021 but, barring a remarkable change of circumstance, he will not be in the Serie A side’s plan for next term.

And Omeonga has revealed his heart is set on coming back to Hibs after seeing his second loan spell curtailed due to the Covid-19 outbreak – and he remains in regular contact with sporting director Graeme Mathie.

Hungry: Omeonga wants to join Hibs from Genoa

He said: “For the last two years, every transfer window has been uncertain.

“This is the life of a footballer and unfortunately I don’t know what will happen next for me. All I can do is try to make my next move the right one. I would love that to be Hibs.

“I want my next club to be somewhere I can play for two or three years. I know it won’t be another loan deal. I need to find a home to grow and improve as a player. I am 24 years old and I am still hungry to achieve some big goals.

“I think the club know this – I have told Graeme [Mathie, sporting director] and the gaffer [Jack Ross] how I feel.

“I know Scottish football is going through a difficult financial situation after this crisis so I can’t say what it possible. I just need to wait and see.

“Graeme told me he would stay in touch with me and he has kept his word. He is always texting me and asking how I am feeling. Even if he can’t do it in the end, I know he’ll do his best to get me back.”

With budgets likely to be slashed across Scottish football, any move could hinge on Genoa’s willingness to do a cut-price deal.

With Omeonga in the final year of his contract, there is no mileage in another loan move for either party.

Likewise, the Italian side are unlikely to receive a bumper offer for a player who endured a frustratingly stop-start campaign – initially with Cercle Bruges, then Hibs – last term.

He continued: “I want them to understand my situation. If they are smart then they will realise there is no point in asking for a transfer fee at the moment. I have not played enough football this season and there are financial problems in the world.

“It is a very small chance that any club will come and hand over money.

“I hope the thing they do is let me go for free and ask for a percentage of the next transfer.”

FRUSTRATION

While his return to Easter Road fell flat, Omeonga remains a firm fans’ favourite following his first loan spell with the club in the second half of the 2018/19 campaign.

He made 17 appearances for the Hibees, winning over punters with his infectious energy and box-to-box style – and Omeonga admits the failure to recapture that has left him with a sense of unfinished business.

Speaking from his home in Liege, Omeonga continued: “The thing that frustrates me is that I didn’t play enough in my second spell and didn’t show myself properly.

“I played a few games, we qualified for the Scottish Cup semi-final and I scored my first goal. I needed a little bit more time but I was starting to feel more like myself and I was excited for the end of the season.

“That has left me with a feeling of something missing and I would like to fix that.”

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