Hibs hope to finally get their man as they prepare another deadline day swoop for St Mirren 's Jamie McGrath - with Alex Gogic set to move in the opposite direction to Paisley.
Easter Road chiefs thought they had a deal signed and sealed back in the summer for the Ireland international, only for it to collapse after an 11th-hour paperwork blunder.
But McGrath could now be finally set to complete his move to Leith after Hib s reignited their interest ahead of Monday's transfer deadline.
They Edinburgh club are still waiting to get the go ahead to holds talks with the player but are confident they are now the frontrunners for his signature.
The original deal would have seen Saints bank £350,000 plus Scott Allan and Drey Wright for the out-of-contract midfield ace.
Record Sport revealed earlier this month that Saints were holding out for a similar fee after Aberdeen made their move for the former Dundalk ace.
But after talks with the Dons collapsed last week, new Hibs boss Shaun Maloney decided to make his own swoop.
A fee of around £150,000 has been agreed, with Gogic thrown in too as the makeweight this time.
English side Fleetwood Town were also keen on the Cypriot international but he's now on his way to Paisley.
The former Hamilton player is out of contract in the summer and has been told by Hibs that he can leave in this window.
However, losing McGrath will be a major blow to the Buddies.
St Mirren boss Jim Goodwin claimed the club made the 25-year-old an “incredible offer” as they sought to persuade McGrath to extend his stay in Renfrewshire.
The deal on the table would have made him the highest-paid player in the club’s history but even that was not enough to tempt him into signing fresh terms.
Since crossing the Irish Sea in the summer of 2020, McGrath has established himself as Saints’ most potent weapon, netting 20 goals from midfield in 79 appearances.
He was handed his first-call up to Stephen Kenny's Republic of Ireland squad last May and has since gone on to win six caps for his country.
