Gary Mackay-Steven is out-of-favour under Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers – and so could he be used as bait to lure Hibs’ John McGinn?
Hibernian may have finally earned a return to the top flight of Scottish football by storming the Championship this season but that does not mean they can sleep easily this summer.
As reported by Herald Scotland, their exploits in the second tier means a number of their prized assets have caught the eye of clubs higher up the financial food chain. Consequently, manager Neil Lennon (above) is bracing himself for a potentially testing transfer window.
And it’s not just 21-goal striker Jason Cummings who could be at the centre of a tug-of-war with the Hibs’ domestic rivals this summer.
BetVictor have installed the Scottish champions John McGinn as 7/2 favourites to secure the signature of highly-rated midfielder John McGinn in the summer.
And Lennon knows he faces a fight to hang onto the three-time Scotland international, and some of his talented team-mates, amid links with his former club.
“We’ve got Premiership players, McGinn, Cummings, (Fraser) Fyvie, (Darren) McGregor, (Paul) Hanlon, the core of the squad is very strong,” Lennon said in quotes reported by Herald Scotland.
“We may have to fend off a few offers for some players as well because, at the end of the day, they are assets in the team and there are going to be clubs looking at them very, very closely now.”
And it certainly seems that Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers is smitten with the 22-year-old midfielder. After watching February’s Edinburgh derby cup clash between Hibs and Hearts, Rodgers could hardly hold back his admiration for McGinn, lauding his technique, his defensive work rate and claiming that he is ‘the type of player you love as a manager’, the Scottish Sun reports.
And Lennon’s honest admission hardly dampens the speculation that Celtic will make an approach this summer. And Rodgers may have an ace up his sleeve.
Seldom-seen midfielder Gary Mackay-Steven appears to have no future under Rodgers at Parkhead and the technically gifted midfielder could be a perfect sweetener in a potential deal to bring McGinn to Glasgow.
The 26-year-old, who has started just four times this season, is nonetheless proven in the top flight after a final spell with Dundee United and would benefit from a fresh start.
And the midfielder signing for Hibs would certainly lessen the pain of McGinn’s exit.
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