Fredric ready to sign
(Stuart Crowther)

DEEP DOWN ALEX McLEISH has likely known for some months that he would not be able to keep Russell Latapy at Easter Road beyond the end of this season, and being the most thorough manager in the SPL, McLeish started making his plans for next season long before the dust would settle on this one. 

Back in January, Hibs.net reported the Hibs boss's interest in two more French players.  One, Marc Libbra, is already at the club on loan while the other looks set to join the club in training tomorrow.  Frederic Arpinon will be welcomed to the club by the familiar face of David Zitelli, with whom he played while at Strasbourg.  The player, who is being allowed to leave by his club Troyes for free, will no doubt be touted as a direct replacement for Russell Latapy but it seems more likely that Hibs style of play in the middle of the park will change to suit the player rather than the other way around.

"Fredric will I think enjoy life in Scotland," one Troyes fan wrote to Hibs.net this morning, adding: "His style of play is not unlike David Zitelli, but perhaps less direct!  He is very strong on the ball and will score goals I think in the Scottish Premier League."  The 31-year-old started his career at Nimes, and has since been much-travelled turning out for Nice, Sedan and Metz as well as Strasbourg.  "We have been looking at Fredric for some time," Alex McLeish said last night, adding: "We are still looking at him, but right at this moment that is as far as it goes."

Fredric Arpinon - Hibs latest recruit? 

Arpinon however clearly believes his stay in Edinburgh will be a long one, as he has told friends in France that he is joining the Easter Road club on a permanent basis with a two-year contract looking likely.

Meanwhile McLeish admitted that he should have had Latapy on from the start in last nights 1-0 reverse in Aberdeen.  The Hibs boss said: "Perhaps I tried to be a little bit too clever, but I thought resting Russell for this game would work.  I put Lyndon Andrews in there hoping his pace and strength would open things up for us but it was a difficult night for him, the midfield area was packed and by half-time I knew I had to change it and bring Russell on."

McLeish was clearly disappointed at the reverse in a game which saw Hibs make five changes from their normal line-up.  He continued: "It was a poor display, very poor in fact.  We started apprehensively and then gave an early goal away, leaving us with 88 minutes to chase the game - and that played into the hands of Aberdeen's counter-attacking game."