Hibernian have completely knocked out Celtic interest by setting a hefty £4m asking price for their star midfield ace, John McGinn. The Hoops recorded a £1.75 offer after their initial £1.5m bid was rejected, opening up the door for potential suitors from England to take a swipe at the 23-year-old.
It is being understood that the Hibs are ready to part ways with the attacking midfielder but Neil Lennon is not in a rush to sell. McGinn was left out of the club’s Europa League qualifiers game against NSI Runavik, raising speculations of a potential departure from Easter Road.
If he is to be sold to any of the clubs on the north side of the border, Brendan Rodgers could potentially suffer a huge loss with Stuart Armstrong already gone from the club ranks. McGinn is being considered as an immediate replacement in midfield but coming up with the funds will be tough after smashing their own transfer fee over the Odsonne Edouard transfer from Paris Saint-Germain.
McGinn has 9 caps for Scotland and was out on international duties against Peru and Mexico when rumours started to escalate over his possible Hibs exit. He became a part of the first Hibs trio, alongside Lewis Stevenson and Dylan McGeouch to appear in an international game since the 1956 1-1 draw against England.
With 12 youth caps for the Tartan Army and also featuring for the St Mirren’s Ralston Academy, the 23-year-old was also pegged to be a star in the Scottish Premiership. He featured in over 80 league games for the Saints before signing with Hibernian in the summer of 2015.
His current contract is set to run for just another season which has forced the Cabbage to consider a sale now rather than losing him for nothing next summer. The Scotsman scored 6 goals and furthered 8 assists during his 46 appearances for Neil Lennon’s side last term.
He has been prolific for both the Easter Road-based outfit and for his country, forcing Premier League and Championship clubs to take notice of his talents. Hibernian, however, believes that Celtic highly undervalues their midfield ace and should offer more money after banking £7m on the Armstrong trade.
Read More: Manchester United Delay A Swoop For 21 Y/O Celtic Fullback: Big Relief For Brendan Rodgers?
Celtic will have to make the necessary adjustments to continue their dominance in the Scottish top-flight. Rodgers should at least come close to meeting Hibernian’s valuation for McGinn, instead of letting him just walk for one of the English clubs.
