Mitchell joins Hibs after paperwork fears are allayed.

Hibernian has finalised the season-long loan signing of Charlton Athletic defender Zach Mitchell.

The 20-year-old is already familiar with Scottish football, having spent time with St Johnstone last season, and the Easter Road club completed the deal on Monday, ahead of the summer transfer window deadline of 11 p.m.

However, a technical issue with FIFA’s Transfer Matching System (TMS) – an online platform aimed at processing international player transfers with the goal of increasing transparency and efficiency – caused the announcement to be delayed while Scottish FA officials met with FIFA to resolve the issue.

With world football’s governing body acknowledging that both clubs met their standards, the move has been approved, and Mitchell will now go north to meet his new teammates. David Grey said, “We’re happy to welcome Zach into the building.

He’s a young youngster who piqued my interest during his brief stint with St Johnstone last season. He possesses several excellent qualities and will bring versatility, strength, and depth to our back line.

“He is a young defender who is confident on the ball and has a strong physical presence.

We are all looking forward to working with him.” Sporting director Malky Mackay stated, “We’re delighted to be able to welcome Zach to our club.

He adds depth to our defence options and is yet another excellent, driven young player to join the squad. “I would like to thank Charlton for their support with the move, and we’re all excited to work with him.”

Charlton manager Nathan Jones added: “We’re overjoyed that Zach has secured a terrific loan to a fantastic team. Obviously, he performed well in Scotland last year and will now face another task.

“Zach has shown that he can step up into our first team, but with the competition he has and game time going to be limited here, it’s important that he continues his development and Hibernian is a great club for him to do so at.” We’ll keep a close eye on him and are excited to see what he can do.”

Mitchell spent time on loan with Colchester United during the 2023/24 campaign, scoring twice in 28 appearances in all competitions, before his stint in Perth, which was cut short by a hamstring problem.

Despite his short playing time, he impressed manager Simo Valakari, and the club considered bringing him back on loan, only for Charlton to decline with the intention of analysing him in pre-season.

The defender signed a long-term contract with the Addicks in 2024, which will keep him at The Valley until 2027, with Charlton having an option for an additional year on a player who joined the club when he was six.

At the time, technical director Andy Scott stated that Zach is a wonderful young talent.

He has an amazing mindset, which, when paired with his technical and physical abilities, makes him a player with a very bright future ahead of him.”

Hibernian has already signed eight players during the transfer window, including Mitchell, Dan Barlaser, Miguel Chaiwa, Grant Hanley, Thibault Klidje, Jamie McGrath, Josh Mulligan, and Raphael Sallinger.

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