Lenny looks to make Hibs an old Bhoys club
admitted he is also hopeful that Kris Commons, who is a free agent after leaving Parkhead back in May, will return to Easter Road when he recovers from back surgery.
“If I was Anthony, I would be coming here,” said Lennon, as he looked ahead to this evening’s Betfred Cup match against Arbroath at Easter Road.
“He knows he’s a hero after the Scottish Cup final, he knows the management team and the majority of the players and he knows we can get the best out of him.
“At this juncture of his career, I think he needs to play, and play for a club that wants him here and for a manager who knows him inside out and can deal with all his little issues – because we’ve all had them!”
Lennon added: “At the minute, we have left it with Anthony. It is his decision. We might come back and review it, but at the minute we have left it with him.
“We’ve made him a strong offer, a very, very good offer from the club’s point of view. We’re certainly not holding a gun to his head, at the minute – although I might eventually if he doesn’t hurry up!
“We would like an answer sooner rather than later, but it’s like every other deal. There may be other options for him, I don’t know. We have other options to look at. If the deal doesn’t materialise then we move on.”
Lennon is currently facing a major problem. Who is going to fill the considerable void left by Jason Cummings, his leading scorer last season, in the months ahead? He admitted that landing Stokes would help his team hugely on their return to the Ladbrokes Premiership.
“They’re always at a premium those types of players,” he said. “We’ve lost Jason, so we’re looking to replace that volume of goals.”
“Anthony’s experienced and he has won a lot of trophies in Scotland, obviously with Hibs as well as Celtic. He had a great time when he was younger at Falkirk, a fantastic couple of seasons there. So, the environment suits him and gets the best out of him.
“He’s played in big games for Celtic, whether that be European games or Old Firm games, and he’s still got plenty in him.”
Lennon, who is poised to add Lithuanian internationalist Vykinta Slivka to his squad this week when the Juventus midfielder receives clearance from his Turin club to join on loan, is also optimistic that Kris Commons will rejoin Hibs when he recovers from back surgery.
The 33-year-old, who spent a spell on loan at Easter Road last season, is a free agent, but has not decided whether he is going to play on or retire.
Lennon confirmed he has offered the midfielder the use of the Championship champions’ training facilities at East Mains outside Edinburgh to aid his rehabilitation.
“He’s a brilliant player when he’s fit,” he said. “He can make the difference. We have a good relationship and I can talk freely about him now he’s out of contract. At his age, he still has plenty to offer. But it all depends on his recovery from surgery.”