Replacing O’Kane with John McGinn would be a smart Leeds move

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Championship giants Leeds United are reportedly willing to pay £2.5m for John McGinn, a midfielder at Scottish Premiership side Hibernian.

Hibernian manager Neil Lennon has made it clear on numerous occasions how much he believes midfielder John McGinn is worth in today’s market. Anything under £5 million is likely to get short shrift from the Edinburgh giants this summer.

So Leeds United may have to offer far more than the £2.5 million they are planning to bid for the Scotland international, as reported by the Sun (20 May, page 67).

It is understood that Leeds have joined Celtic in the race for McGinn, with Whites manager Paul Heckingbottom a fan of a player who provides inspiration as well as perspiration in the centre of the park.

But, with just a year left on McGinn’s contract, there is a chance Hibs will be forced to sell this summer. And if Leeds do win the race for one of the most in-demand players in Britain right now, that could be very worrying indeed for Eunan O’Kane.

The Republic of Ireland midfielder became something of a scapegoat among frustrated Leeds fans last season for his continued presence in the starting XI under Thomas Christiansen despite a series of ineffective performances.

It seems that Heckingbottom does not rate O’Kane quite so highly as his Elland Road predecessor, however. The 27-year-old was a regular under Heckingbottom initially but then played just 26 minutes of football in the final two months of the season.

McGinn would represent a major upgrade in the centre of the park and leave O’Kane well down the pecking order. Which is surely a step in the right direction.