Hibs reject £1.5m bid for McGinn
HIBS last night kicked out an improved bid of £1.5million from Nottingham Forest for star midfielder John McGinn. Fresh from having a £750,000 offer flatly refused last Sunday, the English Championship side came back in with a second bid for the 22-year-old, but were told it was still well short of the Easter Road club’s valuation of one of their
main assets. Forest boss Mark Warburton, who signed Jason Cummings from Hibs earlier in the window, is likely to return with a third bid but the former Rangers manager will have to loosen the purse strings if he’s to get his man in this window. McGinn still has two years left to run on his contract, and Hibs remain resolute that they don’t have to sell him on the cheap. Having already turned down an offer from Ipswich, Hibs have made it clear they are under no pressure to part with the Scotland international. Speaking last weekend about the initial offer, manager Neil Lennon stated: ‘It is laughable and we’ve kicked it into touch. ‘They’ll need to come back with far more money than they’re offering. If they do, then fine. That’s a decision the club has to make. If other clubs come in, we’ve got a valuation. If it’s met, that will be the club’s decision. ‘For a player of John’s quality, you’re talking in the millions. ‘Mark knows the Scottish market. John is a Scotland international and he’s under contract with us. ‘Sometimes, clubs do this kind of thing to unsettle a player, which doesn’t please me and I would imagine they’ll come again. ‘I’ve said before I’d value John at £5m, but maybe the club couldn’t get that.’