Hibernian have suffered arguably their biggest nightmare during this transfer window, as Kevin Nisbet finally departed Easter Road for Championship side Millwall, netting them a cool £2m in the process.
It was second time lucky for the Scottish striker, as he turned down a move to the Den back in January and although Lee Johnson knew that he couldn’t keep hold of his prized asset for long, it will still sting knowing he has departed.
He will now need to replace the player if Hibs are to challenge for third spot in the Premiership next season.
Who have Hibs signed?
Johnson has made a decent start to the transfer window, signing Dylan Levitt, Adam Le Fondre and Elie Youan to spearhead his challenge for a top-three finish and surely more will arrive soon.
One player who may potentially find himself back at Easter Road is striker Mykola Kukharevych, after he made some encouraging comments about the club.
He said: "Hibs fans write to me on social media every day. My situation is not sorted yet. There is still a possibility I could stay at Hibs for the new season too.
"The support is insane. It was the first time I saw fans like that. They travel in big numbers away from home too. I was shocked to see so many of them."
This will please the supporters and the onus is on Johnson to secure another loan spell for the popular £600k-rated Ukrainian.
How good is Mykola Kukharevych?
If Hibs are to make a move for the striker, they could face some competition from Polish side Rakow Czestochowa as they have identified him as a key target.
The 22-year-old still has three years left on his current contract with French outfit Troyes, meaning Hibs will have to settle for a loan deal for the second season in a row if they wish to see him performing in the Premiership.
Although playing just 15 matches due to suffering an injury towards the end of the 2022/23 season, he still managed to score five times and could replace Nisbet’s goals should he stay fit.
The 26-year-old showed just why clubs south of the border were after him, netting 12 goals in just 20 matches, and he finished his stint at Hibs having scored 39 goals in just over 100 matches, a solid hit rate.
Nisbet and Kukharevych ranked in the top two for scoring frequency across the Hibs squad last term, netting every 114 and 174 minutes respectively, while the duo also displayed their intent to score as often as possible by taking 2.7 and 2.3 shots per game, good enough to rank them first and third.
It’s clear that the 6 foot 3 machine has all the required attributes to fill the void left by Nisbet should he join Hibs again for a second spell.
The club finished last season as the fourth-highest scorers in the league with 57 goals, yet in order to secure that top-three finish, they will need a player who is able to score 20 or more and Kukharevych could be the ideal candidate.
