Hibernian striker Kevin Nisbet was ‘very keen’ to discuss a move to Rangers last summer with Steven Gerrard making the Scotland international his number one transfer target, as reported by the Daily Express.
Gerrard walked away from Rangers in November 11, opting to take over from Dean Smith at Aston Villa.
But it seems that the Premiership-winning tactician had decided a few months earlier that his time at Ibrox had reached it’s natural conclusion. After all, how could Gerrard take Rangers to the next level, he felt, without the backing of the board?
The Express points out that Gerrard made no secret of his desire to bring Nisbet to Glasgow. And the former Partick Thistle youngster was certainly receptive to the idea. Nisbet, it is understood, was ‘very keen’ to hold talks with his hometown club.
The Rangers board had different ideas though.
They handed Gerrard a transfer warchest of £4 million after guiding Rangers to their first Premiership title in a decade.
Nisbet, however, would have gobbled up all of that budget in one go. Hibs rejected a £3.2 million bid from Birmingham City only a few months before after all.
Will Rangers come back for Kevin Nisbet?
Presumably, the Ibrox chiefs felt that spending all their money on one player was not the way to go. A decision that went down so badly with Gerrard that, according to The Express, the 41-year-old began his Ibrox exit strategy as far back as August.
Seven months’ on, it’s debateable whether Nisbet would have been worth the risk.
The Glasgow-born 24-year-old scored just five goals in 25 Premiership games before seeing his season curtailed by a knee injury suffered during February’s goalless draw with Celtic.
This Hibs side is not one brimming with creativity however, averaging less than a goal a game on average across 2021/22. It’s not difficult to imagine Nisbet finding the net far more regularly alongside the likes of James Tavernier and Ryan Kent.
“He was excellent from start to finish,” Rangers legend Ally McCoist said in September 2020 after Nisbet caused his old employers no end of problems during a 2-2 draw at Easter Road.
“He is one of these lads, as soon as he sees the goal, he fancies having a shot. I don’t mind that at all. In fact it’s a very endearing attitude to have. He takes a touch and hits it first time.
“I was impressed.”
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