Kieron Bowie Sees £6m Serie A Move as Pathway to Scotland World Cup Selection
Kieron Bowie, the 23-year-old striker, firmly believes his high-profile £6 million transfer from Hibernian to Serie A outfit Hellas Verona can propel him into Scotland's squad for this summer's World Cup. The ambitious forward travelled to Italy yesterday morning, where he successfully completed a medical examination before putting pen to paper on a substantial four-and-a-half-year contract with the historic club.
A Record-Breaking Departure from Easter Road
This landmark deal sees Bowie become Hibernian's all-time record sale, comfortably surpassing the previous benchmark of £4.4 million received from Celtic for Scott Brown nearly two decades ago. The Edinburgh club has negotiated shrewdly, securing both a valuable sell-on clause and performance-related add-ons that could significantly increase the total value of the transfer in the future.
Bowie originally joined Hibs from Fulham in 2024 for a fee of £600,000. His departure marks the culmination of a rapid rise, with the striker having netted nine goals across all competitions for the club during the current campaign. In total, he leaves Easter Road with 15 goals from 52 appearances, a tally achieved despite his first season being hampered by persistent injury issues.
Following a Scottish Trail to Italy's Top Flight
By moving to Verona, Bowie joins a growing contingent of Scottish internationals plying their trade in Italy's prestigious top division. He will now compete alongside and against compatriots such as Scott McTominay, Josh Doig, Che Adams, and Lewis Ferguson. The striker views this step into one of Europe's elite leagues as a crucial opportunity to catch the eye of Scotland manager Steve Clarke ahead of final squad selections for the global tournament in North America and Mexico.
'I've had 18 months at Hibs now. I've done extremely well there and they've done well for me, so I think for all parties it's good,' Bowie told Sky Sports. 'Obviously Italy appeals. There's a lot of people from Scotland that have gone there and done well. This obviously opens up a lot of opportunities for myself and my family. It's a top league and everyone wants to do as best they can and, obviously, with a World Cup coming up, I've spoken about that a lot over the last couple of months and that's the idea.'
Hibernian's Reaction and Strategic Replacement
Hibernian manager David Gray paid tribute to the departing forward, stating: 'Firstly, I would like to thank Kieron for the way he has conducted himself over the last 18 months. He has been a pleasure to coach and he has been fantastic to work with both on and off the pitch. This is a life-changing move for him and his family. He has a bright career ahead of him and we wish him every success moving forward.'
Sporting director Malky Mackay echoed these sentiments, highlighting Bowie's development: 'I would like to wish Kieron all the best with his move. It has been a joy to watch him develop through his time at Hibs and see him progress through the international youth squads before making his first senior Scotland cap. There has always been speculation over Kieron, with several clubs submitting bids over the course of the transfer window. We have worked hard to secure a deal that reflects his true value.'
In a swift move to offset the loss of their star attacker, Hibernian acted decisively by securing the loan signing of Tottenham Hotspur forward Dane Scarlett for the remainder of the season. The 21-year-old Englishman, who recently featured as a substitute in Spurs' Champions League victory over Eintracht Frankfurt, brings considerable potential to Easter Road.
Scarlett, who became Tottenham's youngest-ever player in 2020 and has 27 first-team appearances to his name alongside loan spells at Portsmouth, Ipswich, and Oxford, becomes Hibs' third January acquisition. He follows the arrivals of 19-year-olds Kai Andrews, a midfielder on loan from Coventry City, and striker Owen Elding, signed from Sligo Rovers.
Mackay expressed his delight at the new signing, noting: 'Dane is a top young player with serious potential and is an exciting talent. We're delighted he saw Hibs as the best place for the next step in his career, despite having plenty of offers in England and abroad.' This strategic recruitment underscores the club's intent to remain competitive following Bowie's record-breaking departure.
