Hibs: John McGinn ‘not replacing Scott Allan’

MIDFIELDER John McGinn is expected to become Hibernian’s latest signing today but his new manager has stressed that the 20-year-old is not a replacement for the restless Scott Allan but will instead be used to bolster the club’s promotion push.
John McGinn: Bright talent. Picture: SNSJohn McGinn: Bright talent. Picture: SNS
John McGinn: Bright talent. Picture: SNS

“I can assure you the deal itself and the player himself is not in any way, shape or form an indication of resignation. It’s a way of confirmation,” said manager Alan Stubbs. Happy to fend off competition from top-flight clubs as well as from abroad, he said the fact the club were willing to pay a development fee for the player is an indication of their ambitions. The Scotland Under-21 cap has been training on his own since refusing a new deal at St Mirren.

“We’re very close, we’ve agreed a fee with St Mirren,” said Stubbs. “We’ve been given permission to speak to the player and subject to the medical being completed, we’ll be in a position that we can announce it imminently. It was a substantial fee and I think that tells you where the club is and the direction we want to go in. It epitomises the belief we have.”

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McGinn was due to undergo a medical yesterday afternoon but is unlikely to be in the squad for the League Cup match against Montrose tomorrow.

John McGinn: Bright talent. Picture: SNSJohn McGinn: Bright talent. Picture: SNS
John McGinn: Bright talent. Picture: SNS

“He is one of Scotland’s brightest talents and I think it’s a real coup for the club,” Stubbs added. “There was a lot of interest from Premiership teams, from America and from England. We’re just glad we’ve managed to get his signature on the paper and, as long as the medical is fine, we can hopefully get him in as soon as possible.

“The weekend might be too soon. We’ll be doing some tests this afternoon that will give us an indication of where he is. He’s been training but not within a professional environment. He seems a really level-headed kid who enjoys football and knows exactly where he wants to go.”