Former Hibs captain pans Florian Kamberi and reckons striker isn't good enough for Rangers

Ian Murray can’t see the Swiss striker winning permanent Ibrox move

Former Hibs captain Ian Murray believes Easter Road loanee Florian Kamberi isn’t of the required standard to excel at Rangers.

Kamberi made the move on transfer deadline day, joining Steven Gerrard’s men in a five-month loan deal.

The Swiss attacker was criticised by fans and manager Jack Ross for comments made when he first joined the Ibrox side as it looked like he was prepared to burn bridges with Hibs despite having a year left on his deal.

Florian Kamberi is on loan at Rangers from Hibs. Picture: SNS

He had a short time to convince Rangers he was worth signing long-term, but that audition may already be at an end due to the coronvirus outbreak shutting down the season.

And Airdrie boss Murray, who played for both Hibs and Rangers during his career, doesn't think he’s shown anywhere near enough to warrant the opportunity to join the Glasgow club on a permanent basis.

He isn’t even sure whether he’d still be much of an asset to Hibs and believes a modest six-figure fee would be enough to convince Leeann Dempster and the Hibs board to let him go.

He told the Daily Record: “Kamberi looked like a last-minute panic signing for 
Rangers because of Defoe’s injury. I was surprised they went for him and I’ll be even more surprised if they want to keep him. I don’t think he has shown enough in the games I’ve seen him in.

“To be the main striker at Rangers you need to be a real top-level player. Kamberi would always be a back-up to someone else at that club.

“Rangers have had problems with [Alfredo] 
Morelos’ temperament. Do they really need two players like that? I’m not convinced.

“There’s definitely a player in there, with Kamberi. But he’s a funny player. He has great ability and he’s still young. And he shows flashes of real skill. But the flashes are just too far apart for a 
main striker at Rangers.

“Kamberi wasn’t a regular starter for Hibs, remember. He was in and out of the team.

“The proof is in the pudding. You never let a player join one of your league rivals on a loan deal unless you think it’s good for you. Hibs got [Greg] Docherty out of it, which has been a great bit of business. That tells its own story.

“If Rangers and Hibs were to come to a compromise, a fair price would be around £250,000 with a year left on Kamberi’s 
contract at Easter Road.”