Scout and About: Episode 6 - Hibernian's promising young forward Jason Cummings

Sunderland still aren’t mathematically doomed, but as far as fat ladies and singing go, Michelle McManus is just about to deliver the final killer note of the Nessun Dorma.

The Lads’ ten-year stint in the Premier League is all but over, and the upcoming summer is going to be one of the club’s most crucial transfer windows in a decade. Compiling a side with the right mix of youth, experience and quality to be a success in the Championship will be no easy feat, especially when considered we have very little of two of the above currently in our ranks.

The forward line is going to be completely threadbare come the summer, and recruiting several new attacking options is going to be essential if we are to bounce back at the first attempt. The two sides that have gained automatic promotion this season have had prolific goalscorers at their disposal – both Dwight Gayle and Glenn Murray sit on 22 goals as the season draws to a close.

David Moyes has been watching a young lad from Edinburgh over the past couple of months, and this week’s Scout and About puts Jason Cummings under our microscope.

Hibs hitman Jason Cummings became a social media storm last week with a pretty hilarious WWE-inspired video, but his consistency in front of goal over the last three years had already grabbed the attention of Dour Dave.

The green side of Edinburgh have already secured promotion back to the Scottish Premiership after a three-year absence with Cummings leading the way, topping the league’s scoring charts with 17 strikes. He also boasts an impressive strike rate, averaging a goal every 123 minutes.

For three consecutive seasons now, Cummings has eclipsed the twenty-goal mark for the Leith outfit in all competitions. The Scottish second tier is admittedly not the greatest of standards, but during his time with Hibs Cummings has without doubt earned the opportunity to test himself at a higher level. At the age of 21, he is primed to do just that, and the English Championship could be the logical next step for him.

Cummings is predominantly left-footed, and would inject some much needed pace and energy into a frontline that will require a complete makeover in the summer. In the Championship we will need four strikers, and with Jermain Defoe pretty much guaranteed to move on and Victor Anichebe’s contract due to expire, there is a strong likelihood that all four will need to be signed in the coming months.

Hibs look set to cash in on their prized asset in the summer, and the Scotland U21 striker should command a fee between £2-3million. David Moyes has already watched Cummings on a number of occasions, and a fee of that nature will represent an attractive option for us. In a climate where a Championship goalscorer commands an eight-figure fee, Cummings could prove a snip if he adapts to the English game.

Even if he doesn’t replicate his prolific goalscoring form, his age, energy and well-rounded offensive attributes would be useful assets to a new-look frontline.