Neil Lennon believes there is a chance of Ryan Gauld staying at Hibernian on a long-term basis as he closes in on a loan deal for the Sporting Lisbon midfielder.

Gauld is set for a return to Scotland four-and-a-half years after leaving Dundee United for Sporting.

The 23-year-old has only made a handful of first-team appearances, although he has gained further experience in a number of loan spells in Portugal, most recently with Farense in the second tier.

And Lennon feels there is a chance Gauld could extend his Easter Road stay beyond the summer.

"A possibility of it being beyond that, obviously if it suits both parties," the Hibs head coach told Sky Sports News HQ from his team's Dubai training camp.

"He is a player I have liked for a long time.

"He was a great player at Dundee United and what I like about what Ryan has done, he has gone abroad and tried a different culture. I think that's really impressive for a young player to do that. Sometimes I wish I had done that during my career.

"I think he's physically better now and obviously technically he is an excellent player, and he will bring that bit of creativity that we have been missing."

Lennon is also aiming to bolster his strike force after being critical of Florian Kamberi, Oli Shaw and Jamie Maclaren at times this season.

"If we can bring two in, great," he said. "Hopefully we will bring at least one in to add to what we have.

"At times we have been a bit flat and we need that extra competition and motivation for them all."