This is what Jack Ross has said about the future of rumoured Sunderland transfer target Kevin Nisbet

Hibernian boss Jack Ross is keen to retain the services of striker Kevin Nisbet – despite rumoured interest from Sunderland.
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The Black Cats have been linked with a move for the 23-year-old, who has scored 12 goals in 26 appearances this term.

Such form has naturally attracted interest, with Sheffield United among the sides also reportedly keen on Nisbet.

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And Ross says he isn’t surprised to see clubs such as his former employers linked with moves for his in-form frontman – but says something special would be required to seal a deal for Nisbet.

Jack RossJack Ross
Jack Ross

“It goes with the territory when you are having a good season, you accept teams looking at your players,” said Ross, speaking to the Edinburgh Evening News.

“I would be amazed if people don’t look.

“But I wouldn’t want to lose him, full stop, and I would expect that, for those in senior management, it would need to be something that would turn their heads because we have to balance it out with what he has contributed and the value he gives us on the pitch. The goals he has scored, the level of performances.

“I think when you feel like you are building something that so far has produced but you think can be even better, then you don’t want to disrupt that. But, experience has taught me it can happen. The good thing is our stability as a club means there is no real pressure on us to do that. There may come a time in the future when the club has a decision to make. For the moment I don’t think we want to disrupt what we have, but strengthen it.”

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Nisbet was a summer signing for the Easter Road outfit, having joined from Dunfermline in the summer for a fee of around £250,000.

And a sum in excess of that amount will likely be required to lure him away from Hibernian this summer – which would cast doubt over whether he was a realistic target for Sunderland.

Head coach Lee Johnson is understood to be in the market for attacking reinforcements this month.

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