Hibs transfer switch dismissed as 108-goal hero told he is 'not suited' to summer move
Former Hibs midfielder questions Premiership interest in striker.
Hibs forward Martin Boyle has been told a move to Aberdeen this summer would be ill-suited after he was heavily linked with the Pittodrie outfit over the weekend.
Boyle, 33, will see his 11-year association with the Easter Road club come to an end upon the expiry of his contract this summer - and Stephen Robinson’s side are reported to be “exploring a deal” that could see the experienced forward sign for his hometown club ahead of next season.
The Australian international has been a key figure in Leith over the last decade, scoring 108 goals for the club, but will sever ties with Hibs in the coming weeks. It has been claimed that initial contact has already been made by the Dons as they look to convince Boyle to move to Aberdeen this summer, a move which former Scotland international Alan Hutton would fully endorse.
“You just have to look at what he's done over his career, and the attributes that he has,” claimed Hutton. “Going to Aberdeen, where the expectation [next season] is going to be that they kick on, it’ll be an interesting point to see which way the manager and staff go in. But to have someone like Martin Boyle, who knows where the back of the net is.
“He's still got that pace; he's not slowing down even though he's aged. To get someone like that in the door could be key for the likes of Aberdeen. The rumour will be going crazy over the next few weeks, but to get a player of the quality of Martin Boyle in, I think the fans would like that.”
However, Hutton’s Premier Sports co-host and former Hibs midfielder, Michael Stewart, has poured cold water on the forward’s rumoured move to Pittodrie and raised serious questions on the legitimacy of the move for the 33-year-old forward, who he thinks will opt to move abroad instead.
"It all comes down to finances and longevity of contract,” said Stewart. “From Hibs’ perspective, you'd question why they are not looking to keep him? If the terms were right, whether financial or length of contract, you'd imagine that Hibs would be open and willing to do something like that, but they're not. So that poses the question to Aberdeen.
“Yes, you'd want to bring someone of that quality in, but are you then going to commit to three years on good money? It then tilts more in favour of 'I'm not sure'. Boyle definitely has something to offer, but at this stage in his career, going to Aberdeen probably isn't one that I think makes a whole lot of sense for a number of people, including himself.
“He's probably thinking more about going to Asia or Australia. I'm purely surmising. Aberdeen is his home town, but he's been settled at Hibs for a long time. So I'm not sure. If it's just the immediate future, then perhaps, but I'm not sure that's something that Martin Boyle would be interested in, in which case I'm not sure Aberdeen would be ideally suited to look at something longer term.”
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