Malky Mackay has explained Hibernian’s strategy during the latest transfer window, which saw them make just one new signing.
The focus, according to the Hibs sporting director, was to maintain the core of players that have been performing strongly for manager David Gray over the past few months, while trimming a bloated squad.
Hibs have climbed to fifth in the Scottish Premiership and are currently on a 10-game unbeaten run across all competitions.
Mackay also wanted to guarantee that any player departures aligned with the club's overarching goals, as well as the individual aspirations of the players involved as they successfully managed to keep a hold of in-demand forward Elie Youan.
Gray welcomed Gambia midfielder Alasana Manneh to the squad from Danish second-tier outfit Odense Boldklub, marking the only new signing for Hibernian.
As part of this restructuring, several players have exited the Leith club. Harry McKirdy, Luke Amos, and Jake Doyle-Hayes all left Hibernian by "mutual consent".
Additionally, promising young talent Josh Landers was lured down to West Ham United for a six-figure fee and Josh O'Connor was allowed to leave Easter Road permanently as he joined Dundalk. While, Nohan Kenneh has been loaned out for further development.
Reflecting after the conclusion of the winter window, Mackay said: "I think it was important to make sure that we've got a balanced squad. That's something we've began to evolve from the summer window. I think the importance again was to look at the squad model and make sure that if we were going to bring players in then they were going to be someone who could affect the first team.
"I think it's important at the moment that we don't break that team cohesion and momentum that we've got at the moment, that culture within the squad.
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"So, we brought in Alasana Manneh into our midfield, and as far as the rest of the squad is concerned, we made sure that if anyone else is going to be considered then we had to make sure that they could actually break into that starting XI.
"That wasn't the case, and the model going forward is to make sure that the short-term and long-term goals are sustainable.
"We have just got Kieran Bowie back from a long-term injury, which is a really good bonus for us in the second half of the season. We have Joe Newell and Marvin Ekpiteta who are on the verge of coming back. Elie Youan is in that position as well, and of course Mykola [Kukharevych] has just come back as well. So, really we are looking at five players coming back to join the group who have actually done really well over the last 14, 15 weeks."
Providing an insight on the Frenchman, Mackay told Hibs TV: "In terms of any player leaving this football club, any decision has got to be best for all parties concerned, and certainly Hibs.
"The speculation concerning Elie and another couple of players this past months, we consider everything whether it's best for our football club. If it's not best for our football club then it doesn't happen. So, we have got to make sure that all parties actually align, and if it doesn't then we make sure that we keep our players. I'm delighted that Elie is here for the second part of the season.
"We obviously want to get top six and we want to get into Europe, and we want that to be year-in, year-out like every club does and for that to happen we have got to make sure that we have got a squad that's got a blend of youth, has got sustainable assets in it, has got some experience in it, and we make sure that the players are here and there's a good reason why they are at the football club.
"It's been an unbalanced squad for a period of time and over the summer window, this window, and the next one or two, when so many players are out of contract it will allow us to evolve the squad in a way that's financially sustainable. But also making sure that we have even more talented players at the football club and the fans get to see those players on a day-to-day basis."
