Tam McManus has questioned whether Hibs would be smart to trade Kevin Nisbet to Celtic with Leigh Griffiths moving the other way.

Rumours flew last week when it was reported that the Hoops hoped to bring Scotland cap Nisbet to Parkhead with Griff heading to Easter Road in his stead.

The latter was prolific for the Leith outfit before he made the switch to Glasgow but McManus is not sure the baggage he would bring would be what Jack Ross and his squad need.

Nisbet, meanwhile, has scored a barrel load of his own for the club and could earn them big bucks when he eventually departs. And former attacker McManus doubts where Hibs would benefit. "It sounded a decent deal for Celtic but I struggled to see where the value was for Hibs," he said.

“Look, if a £4million bid comes in from anywhere for the striker it’s going to make them sit up and take notice. And the prospect of softening the blow with a Griffiths sweetener might suit some. But the two players just look like they are going in different directions right now – and I don’t mean along the motorway.

“Everyone knows how highly I rate Nisbet. His star is on the rise, he scored 14 last season and deserved his place in the Scotland squad for the Euros.

“He was ill at the weekend but he’s started the season well and he looks like one of the most promising talents in the country and he is going places.

“Griffiths has been heading the other way in recent times and his career has gone down the rabbit hole a bit.

“He got the year extension at Celtic but that was more down to a lack of bodies at Parkhead than how he’d actually fit in to Ange Postecoglou’s side.

“I can’t see him getting in now, not with the way the manager wants them to play, with a high-pressing, high-intensity style. That’s simply not Griff. I still think he’s one of the most natural finishers in the country and if he’s fit he guarantees goals. If you were betting your last fiver on a man to stick the ball in the net your money would be on him.

“I’ve also got no doubt there would be a queue of managers willing to take a chance on him if it helped get them out of a hole. We all know Griffiths can be a handful for bosses but a lot of them will let a player off with a lot if they are producing the goods. At Hibs Alex McLeish would let Russell Latapy away with murder at times but it was fine as long as he was doing the business.

“But eventually most managers will draw a line and big Eck obviously was at the end of his tether when he dropped Russell for the Cup Final.

“It’s been a bit like that with Griffiths as he’s fallen foul of Brendan Rodgers and Neil Lennon in recent times. Would Ross want that hassle in his dressing room? With such a young group I’m not so sure.

“I know Hibs fans would welcome him back with open arms. No wonder. He scored 25 goals for one of the worst Hibs times in history under Pat Fenlon. But at 31 I can’t see it being much of a deal for them if Nisbet did go the other way."

McManus also cast doubt on Celtic's willingness to splash the cash on Nisbet as they seem to begrudge spending big on players made in this country.

“I can’t see Celtic spending £4m on a homegrown talent either if I’m honest," he added, writing in his Daily Record column.

“The last time they spent that cash in Scotland it was for Scott Brown and that was a million years ago. Hibs can’t afford to sell him right now anyway, with Christian Doidge out injured until Christmas.

“I like the look of James Scott and I think he’ll be a good signing for the club. But they could still do with another striker even if they do keep hold of Nisbet.”