MY £5M MAN
McGinn’s price tag has rocketed, says Lennon
NEIL LENNON has slapped a £5million price tag on Hibs and Scotland midfielder John McGinn.
The Easter Road boss was hugely impressed by the 23-year-old’s performance for the national team in their 1-0 friendly win in Hungary on Tuesday night.
Hibernian kicked out a bid of £1.5m from Nottingham Forest for McGinn during the summer transfer window. And, after backing his player to become an international mainstay under Alex McLeish, Lennon warned any interested parties they will need to pay more than treble that sum to land the former St Mirren powerhouse in the summer window.
‘It’s inevitable with the progress John McGinn is making there will be interest in him. If I was a manager somewhere else, I would be having a right good look at him,’ said Lennon.
‘But John has a price and we
NEIL LENNON watched John McGinn emerge from a Budapest midfield battle with another cap to his name and another million pounds on his price tag.
The Hibs boss was undoubtedly pleased to see his star man enhance his burgeoning reputation in Scotland’s friendly with Hungary on Tuesday night.
But Lennon was also left grudgingly accepting that the clock is now ticking down on the 23-year-old’s time at Easter Road.
Last summer, he told Mark Warburton to start the bidding at £4million after kicking out a derisory offer of £1.5m for McGinn from English Championship side Nottingham Forest.
Now, after a stellar season in the Ladbrokes Premiership, Lennon warned any new admirers that the former St Mirren midfielder won’t be departing Leith this summer for a penny under £5m. ‘I was really pleased with John McGinn’s contribution against Hungary,’ said the former Celtic manager. ‘He did really well. He doesn’t look out of place at that level. I thought he was excellent against Holland back in November as well and he put in a very mature performance on Tuesday.
‘He looks very comfortable in that environment, but that’s testament to how he’s been playing since I walked in the door at Hibs and even before that.
‘I hope John goes on to become a mainstay for Scotland because he’s good enough.
‘He’s playing with good players and I think that gets the juices going and brings the best out of him.
‘It is inevitable with the progress John is making that there will be interest in him. ‘If I was a manager somewhere else, I would be having a right good look at him. ‘But John has a price. I value him very highly — as we all do here — and we won’t sell ourselves short if bids come in for him.
‘We had a bid for him last year, which was nowhere near our valuation and I was surprised there was no interest in him back in January.
‘We will see what the summer brings. But I think in this day and age, £5m would cover it.’
Earlier this week, former Celtic attacker Simon Donnelly urged Brendan Rodgers to sign McGinn as a successor to Parkhead captain Scott Brown.
A former Celtic skipper himself, Lennon is in no doubt McGinn would walk into any team in Scotland — including the champions.
And should the Celtic board pay £5m, it would be £600,000 more than the £4.4m they shelled out to Hibs to land Brown in the summer of 2007.
‘John is at an age now that he is ready to play anywhere,’ said Lennon.
‘He is good enough to be a first-team regular wherever he plays.
‘His ball retention is good, his range of passing is good. He’s got a goal in him and the more experience he gets the better he will become.
‘He’s still in great physical condition considering the amount of hits he has had to take this season (from opponents).
‘Maybe he could learn more about his awareness of the opposition when he is off the ball.
‘But, for me, he’s had a stellar season again.
‘He can sit in there and defend and he can also drive the game from midfield. He’s left-footed, too, which brings great balance to a team. I love watching John McGinn play.’
While McGinn returned from Hungary with his international credentials enhanced, there was only bitter disappointment for Hibs team-mate Dylan McGeouch.
After discussing how a London specialist recommended by Robert Snodgrass had helped him cure his niggling injuries, the 25-year-old had to pull out of the Scotland squad with a groin complaint and missed the chance to win his first senior cap.
McGeouch, who is out of contract at Easter Road in the summer but remains in discussion with Hibs over a new deal, might still not be ready to face Partick Thistle at home tomorrow.
But he will be back soon — and Lennon is sure that he has a bright international future ahead of him.
‘Dylan has had a superb season and he is over the disappointment,’ said the Northern Irishman.
‘I’ve spoken to him about it and he is pragmatic about it. It’s just one of those things.
‘It was a pretty insignificant injury. He overstretched for a ball and felt something go.
‘He wants to get back out playing as soon as possible but we have to make sure we don’t rush him back too early. If he’s not back on Saturday, he will be back on Tuesday against Hamilton.
‘But Alex McLeish was very impressed that Dylan went along so they could have a look at him.
‘Dylan’s still very much in Alex’s thoughts going forward and I think that will have given him a boost. ‘While Scotland did well the other night, I think there is plenty room in there for Dylan to show what he can do. ‘Hopefully he will feature in the Scotland friendlies in the summer against Peru and Mexico.’ After welcoming Thistle to Easter Road tomorrow, Hibs host Hamilton on Tuesday before travelling to bottom side Ross County a week on Saturday. Lennon’s men are six points behind second-placed Rangers, with a game in hand, and four off Aberdeen.
But the Northern Irishman warned his side to be wary of facing teams locked in a battle for survival.
‘It is three difficult games for us as we are playing three of the bottom four,’ said Lennon. ‘We have to be respectful of the opposition.
‘Each club is fighting for their lives and that makes them a dangerous animal. If we take our foot off the gas, then we will get punished. But if we get the results we want, we can be in a really good position come the split.’