Hibernian midfielder John McGinn is hot property and Celtic are surely unlikely to let Ipswich Town fight for his signature unchallenged.
John McGinn has three caps for Scotland
The scramble to sign Hibernian star John McGinn looks to be on. Though Hibs boss Neil Lennon has made clear that the club do not intend to sell their prized asset this summer after losing Jason Cummings to Nottingham Forest, that has not stopped Ipswich Town launching a £1 million bid, as reported by the Daily Record.
The report claims, unsurprisingly, that the newly promoted Hibs rejected Ipswich’s bid out of hand. Manager Mick McCarthy is understood to be a firm admirer of the Scotland squad regular but the seven-figure bid fell well short of the Edinburgh club’s valuation.
And Ipswich laying their cards on the table may force Celtic to show their hand. According to the Daily Record, Hoops manager Brendan Rodgers was impressed by McGinn’s standout performances in central midfield as he inspired Hibs to the second tier title, winning the league’s Player of the Year award to boot.
And the report added that Celtic were planning a £1.5 million bid for the 21-year-old, who has still not signed a new deal to confirm his allegiance to Hibs beyond 2019.
Race is on
In fact, Rodgers went as far as to declare McGinn ‘the type of player you love as a manager’ after Hibs Edinburgh derby clash with Hearts in the Scottish Cup in February, as reported by the Scottish Sun.
Though it seems his Ipswich counterpart McCarthy, whose hard-working if stodgy side have frequently suffered with a lack of creativity, shares his opinion.
Ipswich may be in far greater need than Celtic for McGinn, the Scottish champions possessing a treasure trove of gifted midfield options, but it would be no surprise if Rodgers attempted to add another bright young domestic talent to his ranks this summer.
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers
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