Yesterday we were linked with yet another signing target, a name who’s come up already during the last few weeks. It’s young John McGinn, of Hibs. I don’t need to be sold on this one; I’m a fully paid up member of the fan club, so to speak. It would be a fantastic purchase, most definitely a case of buying “one for the future.” He is tremendous talent.
The media suggests that the deal would cost us around £1.5 million. That’s probably going to be a little on the conservative side. I reckon Hibs will want closer to £2 million, and I think we should be perfectly prepared to pay it. And then John should brace himself for what might prove to be a prolonged battle for a first team place.
But it will come. He has all the attributes to make it.
If we’re back in the Group Stages of the Champions League next season we’ll need a squad that can handle the schedule. He will add something to the midfield and allow us to rotate the starting eleven, without losing any of our potency on the pitch. That’s as good as it gets for any club.
It’s clear that this would be a “squad signing.”
Brendan has identified a few marquee footballers who can come in and make a real difference and command a first team place. It will be interesting to see who they are and where they fit in. But young John would continue a very positive trend, in which we try to ID the best up-coming Scottish players.
It has served us well down through time, with only Gary Mackay Steven and Scott Allan not proving to be huge successes.
GMS may still get a chance, although time is not on his side. Scott, I don’t think you’ll see in a Celtic shirt again, although Brendan has been good at keeping the door open for people.
Some will accuse us of trying to “buy next season” by weakening one of the other clubs (cause no-one ever tried to do that before, eah?) but if the deal goes through and Hibs spend whatever money they get wisely (better than Sevco in other words) then it’s a no-lose situation for all concerned.
I also suspect we have some decent kids we can offer them on loan.
John McGinn is probably the best young Scottish player out there at the moment, and Celtic’s interest in him is neither surprising nor unhealthy. Scottish football fans always lament the loss of our top players to clubs in England; if we sign him this will be a great example of a gifted young player staying to play in the SPL.
It is a tremendous vote of confidence in our league and the standard of football here.
You’d think that would be applauded. Certainly those clowns in England who can’t stop finding things to slag us for have been saying for a while that we need to “sign more Scottish players” as if our team wasn’t full of them. But I suspect they’ll sneer about it, and say it’s the level Brendan is working at now. I suspect the Scottish media will lead off with how he’ll waste his career on the bench. Perhaps some will suggest Ibrox might have been a better destination, if only the club there could afford even his bus fare.
For all that, this will be a good deal for Celtic, Hibs and the game here.
And that’s why I sincerely hope that Brendan makes him our first signing of the summer.