Hibs give Florian Kamberi permission to return home to Switzerland as Rangers interest cools

Striker has been linked with St Gallen – but Ibrox return unlikely

Florian Kamberi is edging closer to the exit door.

Florian Kamberi has flown to Switzerland to mull over his future after Hibs gave the forward permission to return home.

The 25-year-old landed in Basel on Friday morning and will spend a period of time with his family before deciding where his future lies.

Kamberi has not featured in any of Hibs’ pre-season matches and is highly unlikely to feature for the Capital club again after the relationship between him and Hibs soured following comments made about a “dream” loan move to Rangers in January.

The striker is understood to be edging closer to the exit door, with St Gallen - currently second in the Swiss Super League - holding an interest in the player.

No formal bids have been made for Kamberi yet, however, and Rangers’ desire to bring him back to Ibrox for a second spell has cooled despite one of their strikers, Jermain Defoe, picking up a hamstring injury and potentially leaving them light in attack for the start of the season on August 1.

Hibs play Aberdeen at Pittodrie in a closed-door friendly on Saturday and Kamberi was not pencilled in to feature, clearing the way for his flight back home.

Kamberi has scored 29 goals in 115 games since joining Hibs in January 2018, first on loan from Grasshopper Zürich before making the move permanent. He has one year on his Hibs deal remaining.