£1.5m striker hints he’s about to play final home game amid PNE links

Hibernian striker Kevin Nisbet admits he could play his final home game for the club on Wednesday night amid links to Preston North End.

It’s hard to really imagine PNE spending much money on transfer fees this summer but Nisbet has been an interesting link.

The Scottish Daily Mail (18/04, p73) first reported PNE’s interest in Nisbet, claiming that North End had scouted him.

PNE need a number of strikers this summer and Nisbet could fit the bill.

The 26-year-old has bagged 10 goals in 17 games this season, bouncing back brilliantly from a major knee injury.

The big problem for North End is that Nisbet isn’t expected to be cheap – well, at least by PNE standards.

The Herald claim that Nisbet is likely to cost around £1.5million this summer – a fee surely beyond North End.

Those reports have highlighted rival interest from the likes of Blackburn Rovers, Bristol City and Millwall, who can all probably overpower North End in the transfer market.

Still, if North End had plans to cook up a seven-figure deal for Nisbet this summer then his latest comments will be of interest.

Nisbet has spoken to STV about his future and admits Wednesday’s home game against Celtic could be his last at Easter Road.

Nisbet isn’t focusing too much on a potential transfer but accepts that this could be his last outing as a Hibs player in front of the home faithful.

The striker noted that his agent is handling a possible transfer, allowing Nisbet to focus just on playing out the rest of the season.

Nisbet did though add that he hopes to see Hibs claim a hefty fee for him, which is the big issue for North End in this potential pursuit.

“It could, yeah. But for me it’s just about focusing on the game and then focusing on the Hearts game,” said Nisbet. “All the other stuff is put to the side until after the season and then we’ll take it from there. For me, it’s just about putting a good performance on against Celtic and trying to get three points.”

“I’m not really too sure. I’ve not really thought into it,” he added when asked about a possible exit. “My agent and the club are in good dialogue with each other and I’ve said I kind of want to stay out of it. I just want to focus on finishing the season well.”

“Of course I do. This is my third season here and I’ve got a good connection with the club. They’ve been great to me so if I can return the investment, that would be great for all parties,” he said when asked about Hibs receiving a big fee for his services.