Hibs and Kevin Nisbet facing imminent conundrum that may hinge on January precedent

Kevin Nisbet returned to the Hibs team with a goal against Rangers.

Despite being “the subject of concrete interest”, that transfer window ultimately closed with both men still on Hibs’ books, after the club turned down an offer in excess of £2million for the striker and just shy of £1m for their defender.

Now, the Easter Road outfit will have to wait to see if they can recoup anything for Porteous after he opted to run down his deal, becoming free to sign a pre-contract agreement with interested clubs when the latest window opens in less than two weeks. And, it poses an interesting conundrum for both Hibs and Nisbet.

The 25-year-old forward is tied to the Leithers for a year longer than Porteous, but having bounced back from a knee injury, he could soon be batting his eyelids at suitors, if he starts battering in goals with the frequency of 2020/2021.

The club’s top scorer that season with 18 goals, his potency alerted teams like Birmingham City. But, with a £3m-plus price tag, they were scared off more emphatically than a new boyfriend meeting a burly, overprotective father.

There followed tales of disquiet as Hibs exerted their right to retain him. But forced to knuckle down, he went on to earn Scotland recognition.

As his standing in the game rose, so did Hibs’ hopes of cashing in. Brought in to deliver in the short-term, there was always the understanding that Nisbet would probably look to advance and Hibs’ plan was to enjoy a sizable return on their investment.

And, that might have been the case by now had the squad’s form, including Nisbet’s, not dipped and that knee injury left him on the sidelines. Now, back in the ranks and with his first goal since Boxing Day under his belt, the manoeuvrings of the next few months will be intriguing.

When the prospect of Porteous leaving dawned on current manager Lee Johnston, he queried allowing the situation to reach such a precarious point. “He has been at the club a long time but potentially hasn’t been – in my opinion, bumped up quick enough,” he said. "That’s where we’ve put ourselves at risk a little bit and have to try to remedy that. If someone has come and bought you, then everybody wins. We don’t want Hibs to lose out through maybe not planning as well as we could have two, three, four, five, six years ago.”

So, will Hibs move to ensure there is no repeat with Nisbet? If they do, will Nisbet, having found his move south thwarted two years ago, choose to tie himself into an extended deal?

After a long-term injury he will know that his career could change course in the space of a few seconds and that could hasten his desire to cash in and chase bigger dreams or it could make him more cautious, craving stability and a safety net.

Much could depend on how Porteous’ next step pans out. He too came back from serious injury and can thank Hibs for the leg-up to international football. But loyalty and gratitude only take players and clubs so far.