Will Bowie be next Scot to light up Serie A?

Hibernian striker Kieron Bowie is coveted by Serie A club Hellas Verona, who have made one bid for the Scotland forward.

That offer was rejected by the Edinburgh club, but it is thought Verona will return with another attempt to sign the 23-year-old and add him to a healthy list of Scotland players already shining in Serie A.

It would be the second player they have signed from Hibs, with left-back Josh Doig flourishing after joining in 2022 before being bought by Sassuolo two years later.

And it would make Bowie the latest Scot to play in an Italian top flight that increasingly has a tartan hue to it.

Bowie was born in Kirkcaldy in Fife and joined the club he supported, Raith Rovers, after being spotted by manager John McGlynn.

He was a teenage prodigy and, aged just 16, he was training regularly with the first team before making his debut in a 4-1 win over Montrose in 2019.

Bowie played a pivotal role in helping Rovers lift the 2019-2020 Scottish League 1 title, making 37 appearances, scoring 10 goals and setting up five in his breakthrough season.

That brought him to the attention of clubs in England and Premier League club Fulham signed the young forward in July 2022.

He quickly moved to League Two on a season-long loan to Northampton Town and helped the Cobblers gain automatic promotion, scoring five times and providing three assists.

Bowie re-joined Northampton Town the following season and scored nine times with six assists in League One.

In the summer of 2024, Hibs signed the forward for “a significant fee” and the 23-year-old has scored 15 times in 52 games for the Easter Road side.

That form has earned him two Scotland caps and he is in a good position to go to the World Cup this summer.

He is the fifth top-scorer in the Premiership this season with eight goals, behind Celtic’s Benjamin Nygren, Motherwell’s Tawanda Maswanihse, Heart of Midlothian’s Lawrence Shankland (all 11) and Tynecastle team-mate Claudio Braga (10).

Che Adams: The Leicester-born 29-year-old is a favourite of Scotland boss Steve Clarke. He moved to Torino two years ago after featuring in the Premier League with Southampton. This season, he has scored five goals in 24 appearances for his 16th-placed side.

Josh Doig: The 23-year-old from Edinburgh is at his second Serie A club, after moving from Verona to Sassuolo in 2024. Doig has made 22 appearances, 18 of them starts, this season for his 11th-placed side.

Lewis Ferguson: The midfielder started his career with local club Hamilton Academical then spent four seasons with Aberdeen before being sold to Bologna in 2022. Ferguson, who has 21 Scotland caps, became captain the following October and led his side to a Coppa Italia win last year. He has made 25 appearances this season for the eighth-placed side.

Billy Gilmour: The 24-year-old started his career with Rangers but moved to Chelsea while still a youth. After a loan at Norwich City, he moved to Brighton & Hove Albion before being sold to Napoli in 2024 – on the same day as Scotland team-mate McTominay. He helped Napoli win the league last season, but this term he has been limited to 12 appearances, only six of them starts.

Scott McTominay: The Lancaster-born midfielder came through Manchester United’s youth ranks and made 255 appearances for them before being sold to Napoli. The 29-year-old was nominated for the Ballon d’Or award last season for his part in their title win. McTominay has made 31 appearances this season for his club, all but two of them starts, scoring nine times, for holders currently sitting fourth.

Forward Cillian Sheridan, who has played for Celtic, St Johnstone and Kilmarnock in his career, believes Verona would suit Bowie at this stage of his career – because he is not yet ready for a move to either of the Old Firm clubs.

“He’s coachable for them,” he said. “He has the attributes to go there and play in a physical league. It’s tough and demanding – that’s probably his biggest attributes. His physicality.

“I don’t think he’s quite there to go and be a Celtic striker now. I don’t think he’s at that prolific stage for that.

“Verona probably see him as another Scottish player that they can take over to Italy that can be successful.