Former Scottish footballer Tam McManus has claimed that Celtic won’t be willing to pay the touted fee for Hibernian player Kevin Nisbet.
The centre-forward has recently been linked with a move to the Bhoys, with his absence from a recent squad sparking many rumours – though it was later proven to be due to an illness.
While speaking on PLZ Soccer’s The PLZ Football Show, McManus claimed that Celtic won’t be willing to cough up the £3m he believes Hibs will ask for the player, with the Edinburgh side turning a bid of that sum down following an approach from Birmingham City in January.
He explained: “I don’t think Celtic will pay what Hibs are looking for. I think Hibs will be looking for at least £3m, upwards of £4m. I mean, they knocked back £3m from Birmingham.
“I think since then he’s blossomed. He’s now a Scottish international. He’s in the squad, started the season well.”
TIF Thoughts on Kevin Nisbet and Celtic…
If Celtic aren’t prepared to pay that money, it has been reported that they are keen to instead offer Hibs a swap deal. Indeed, Leigh Griffiths is said to be the man the Bhoys want to trade in order to bring in Nisbet at a cut price.
The 31-year-old has yet to feature for his club this season, which suggests he may well not be in Ange Postecoglou’s plans for the remainder of this campaign.
Nisbet, on the other hand, has already played six times this season for Hibs, scoring twice as well as grabbing a couple of assists. Having featured three times for his country at Euro 2020, it’s clear to see the 24-year-old’s stock is swiftly rising.