NEIL LENNON admits he will be “amazed” if an English club does not come in for Celtic target John McGinn this week.
The transfer window south of the border shuts at 5pm on Thursday and the Easter Road gaffer is bracing himself for bids for the 23-year-old midfielder.
The Hoops have already had three offers – the last believed to be in the £2million region – knocked back for the Scotland international who is out of contract next summer.
Brighton and Blackburn Rovers have been linked with McGinn, but Lennon revealed the only concrete bids have come from his old club – although the Edinburgh outfit are refusing to budge from their valuation of the player which is around £3million to £4million with add-ons.
The Irishman watched McGinn star in his side’s 3-0 win over Motherwell yesterday and was asked if it was the hard-working operator’s last game for the club.
He replied: “I do not know is the answer. Whether he is here on Thursday or not, it is going to be a fraught couple of days for me.
“John is one of the best I have worked with in terms of what he brings to a team and his influence. If he does go it will leave a huge hole, but one we will have to try to fill.”
Lennon added: “He has that inner drive and strength now. He has developed physically in to a real specimen. He can kick on, he is ready.
”John is at the peak of his powers. He has handled the situation brilliantly and that speaks volumes for him, not just as a player, but personally because it can’t have been easy for him.
“He is a value, but the only concrete offer has come from Celtic and that doesn’t meet our valuation.”
