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Nectar Triantis returns to Sunderland - but where does it all go from here?

If we're still having this conversation in a month's time, then perhaps there's a case to be made. To be honest, I'm not quite sure of the threshold that a transfer story has to cross before it becomes a transfer saga.

Are there a set number of days that have to pass? Is there a judicial panel that considers all the evidence and makes a decision? Is it just a handy buzzword for the likes of me to put in headlines?

Whatever the ins and outs of this traditional summer phenomenon, what's certain is we'll be hearing plenty more about Nectar Triantis, one way or another, before the end of August.

The situation between Triantis and Hibs is, at its heart, actually quite simple. There is a mutual affection, but both parties, in the end, must still look out for their own best interests. David Gray made that abundantly clear at Hibs' training camp in the Netherlands on Thursday, stating that the club do not want to be 'waiting around' for any player to 'decide what he wants to do'.

"It's a position we know we need to look at, that defensive-minded player," said the Hibs head coach. "The conversations and the hard work are ongoing to see what we can do in that position, because you don't want to just be waiting around. We've got a clear plan of what we need to do. We're not just going to sit here and pin our hopes on a player deciding what he wants to do."

There will, of course, be some degree of waiting, simply because there has to be.

Triantis is a Sunderland player, and they ultimately hold most of the cards. Newly-promoted to the Premier League, the Black Cats will decide whether they want to sell the 22-year-old, loan him out again, or keep him around Regis Le Bris' first-team setup.

Triantis will report for pre-season training on Wearside today, around a month after withdrawing from the Australia squad with, according to manager Tony Popovic, 'things on his mind'. The latest on where the Sydney native's focus lies is, unsurprisingly, on trying to make an impression at Sunderland.

When he moved to the UK from Central Coast Mariners in 2023, the dream would have been to play in the Premier League. It's easy to grow weary of England's bloated, overexposed top-flight when you're just a spectator, but when you're a young player making your way in the game, it's the ultimate destination for most. The biggest league in the world.

Until he's told otherwise, Triantis has the opportunity to step in, train with a Premier League squad, and see where it leads him. With Sunderland spending big on their midfield options already this summer, adding Noah Sadiki and Habib Diarra for a combined cost of £45m, he could be on a hiding to nothing. Elite athletes, though, can't afford to think that way. Triantis projects a laid-back, easy going persona, but he is not short on drive and self-belief.

Simply put, he has to back himself to make it in the Premier League. while the opportunity is there. Otherwise, what would have been the point of joining Sunderland in the first place?

For Hibs fans hoping to see a fully-formed squad in time for this month's Europa League qualifier against Midtjylland, it's not the ideal scenario. Having Triantis back in the middle of the pitch in Denmark in three weeks time would undoubtedly increase their team's chances of victory. Situations can change very quickly in football, of course, but at the moment it feels unlikely that anything significant will happen in the immediate term.

For Hibs, that presents some challenges. 'Getting business done early' is so often used as the barometer of a successful transfer window, but, in reality, some deals just cannot be done quickly. Gray spoke about this last summer, explaining that certain opportunities will only arise when selling/loaning clubs have their own ducks in a row.

The question then becomes - how long do you hold out? Hibs were prepared to go the distance for Luke McCowan last summer because he was the x-factor player Gray felt could have been transformative, not because he desperately needed someone in that position. This time, though, Hibs do need someone in the Triantis mould.

There are several good footballers in Gray's midfield, but Triantis brought a bit of everything. Passing range, ball-carrying, physicality, and even the odd goal. Gray is right to say Hibs can't wait forever, but some players are worth waiting at least a little while for, as long as there are contingency plans in place. Triantis is one of them.

It's not all-or-nothing, either, in the sense that Hibs will have an ongoing sense of where this is all heading, and whether they need to start enacting those contingency plans. The work carried out in the market over the last 12 months, which after a slow start to last season has largely been proven very good, has earned Hibs the right to be trusted in their handling of this pursuit.

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They are prepared to spend significantly if a permanent transfer can be done, and will have made clear to Triantis that so much of what he craves for his next move can be found at Easter Road. In April, his agent Jem Karacan laid that out plainly in an interview with with the Row Z podcast, citing a need for Triantis to go somewhere he can play a significant role in order to give himself the best chance of featuring at the 2026 World Cup.

There's little doubt he would be among the main men at Hibs were he to return for a third spell. And the healthy contingent of international players in Gray's squad demonstrate that Leith can be a gateway to the world stage.

Other clubs could perhaps offer Triantis more money, but he already knows what Hibs can keep doing for the progression of his career above all else. You feel that has to count for something.

Whether it's quite enough remains to be seen.

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