Hibernian midfielder John McGinn featured for his club in the second leg of the UEFA Europa League first-round qualifier versus Runavik despite being linked with a move to Celtic in recent times. According to recent reports, the Hoops have not made any further offers for the Scottish talent after their two initial bids were declined by the Hibs.
If the move now happens, McGinn playing on Thursday for Hibs would mean that he won’t be eligible for the Bhoys’ Champions League qualifiers. In a recent interview, Hibernian boss Neil Lennon weighed in on the situation and was quoted to have said, “I’ve got to do what I think is best for Hibs at the minute,”
“John’s one of our best players and alright we’re in a comfortable position [in the tie] at the minute, but he needs to play.
“He needs match fitness, he needs sharpness, so I’ve got to take all those things into consideration as well, regardless of events happening elsewhere.”
Yesterday, after his team’s blistering 6-4 win against their opponents, in which McGinn scored as well, Lennon was once again vocal about the transfer situation of the 23-year-old Scotsman, stating that it was “out of his remit.” He said,”Negotiations might be going on or they might have stalled,” he added,”I don’t know. But he’s a cracking player, one of our best, and he needed the 90 minutes. Our focus now is all on next week and that will do John the world of good.”
The Scottish sensation has put in a number of awe-inspiring performances for the Hibs during the course of last season which has not gone unnoticed by the Hoops. However, it seems like Rodgers could be willing to give up on his services, at least for this summer. The 23-year-old has a wealth of experience in Scottish football and has also earned 9 international caps for the Scottish national team so far in his career.
The Bhoys of Scotland managed to pull off a domestic treble in the last campaign but with their rivals getting stronger with each day, the Hoops might need to bring in some more quality this summer in order to maintain their dominance in the Scottish top-flight.
The addition of McGinn would have definitely bolstered Rodgers’ midfield options ahead of the new season. The Hoops have a whole host of midfield talents such as Scott Brown, Tom Rogic, Kieran Tierney, James Forrest and Olivier Ntcham vying for a starting berth in Rodgers’ first XI. The potential acquisition of McGinn would have undoubtedly improved their team significantly and added more competition for places within the Celtic squad.
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The Scottish playmaker is very versatile and primarily operates in central midfield but can also be deployed on the left flank, which makes him a perfect fit for the Glaswegian giants. Hence, Rodgers should go all out to acquire his signature this summer as he has the potential to be a future star at Celtic Park. It remains to be seen what lies ahead in the future of McGinn and whether he ends up making a move to Parkhead this summer.
