Celtic or Rangers move would be ‘difficult to turn down’ for Hibs’ Kevin Nisbet

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Hibernian will find it difficult to keep star striker Kevin Nisbet if Scottish Premiership giants Celtic or Rangers come calling, former Easter Road favourite Sol Bamba tells Sky Sports.

After ten months out of action with a cruciate ligament injury, the expectation was that Nisbet would need some time to rediscover his rhythm and his confidence in the final third. Well, how’s 16 minutes for you?

That is how long it took for the Scotland international to mark his long-awaited return with a goal during December’s dramatic 3-2 defeat at Ibrox. In fact, Nisbet now has seven in just six games, including a thrilling hat-trick against Motherwell.

The Glasgow-born 25-year-old has reportedly plundered his way onto the radar of a Celtic side preparing for Giorgios Giakoumakis’ potential departure, according to the Scottish Sun. And while Hibs are unlikely to let Nisbet go without a fight, Bamba accepts that opportunities as tempting as this don’t come around all that often.

Celtic target red-hot Hibernian striker Kevin Nisbet

“I dare to imagine where Hibs will be without him. If they let him go and don’t replace him with someone as good, it’s going to be difficult,” says Bamba, the former Leeds, Cardiff and Middlesbrough defender who spent three years at Easter Road.

“But, at the same time, when Celtic or Rangers come calling, it’s difficult to turn it down.”

The £4 million-rated Nisbet, per the Express, was more than open to the idea of joining Rangers before his ACL rupture; Steven Gerrard having installed the one-time Partick Thistle striker as one of his leading targets during the summer of 2021 (The Athletic)

Now, with his contract entering it’s final 18 months, it remains to be seen if Rangers plan to renew their interest. Gerrard’s former assistant Mick Beale is now at the helm. And a new centre-forward is certainly likely to be high on Rangers’ wishlist amid doubts over Alfredo Morelos’ future.

“I’m guessing he’s an ambitious player who wants to play at the highest level. It will be difficult (to keep him),” adds Bamba. “It will be interesting to see if he’s still here at the end of the window.

“The club will have a conversation with him and ask what he wants to do. If he wants to go, they’ll probably sell him. They don’t want him to be in the last year of his contract.”