Hibs head coach Neil Lennon admits he is bracing himself for offers for star players

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Hibs head coach Neil Lennon admits he is bracing himself for a fight to hold on to John McGinn and Jason Cummings this summer.

Scotland midfielder McGinn and 21-goal striker Cummings played key roles in helping the Leith side clinch the Championship title and a return to the top-flight on Saturday.

After excelling in his first season with Hibs after being signed by Alan Stubbs from St Mirren in July 2015, playmaker McGinn has again been a stand out in the current campaign and the 22-year-old has become a regular member of Gordon Strachan’s national squad.

Cummings has taken his tally to 69 since scoring his first senior goals in the ill-fated top-flight relegation play-off defeat Hamilton in May 2014.

English League One side Peterborough had a £1.8 million bid turned down for the 21-year-old last summer and Lennon said after Februrary’s Scottish Cup victory over Hearts that that figure ‘wouldn’t pay for his right leg’.

McGinn and Cummings are both contracted to Hibs until 2019 and 2020 respectively but Lennon is preparing himself for bids.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Lennon said: “We’ve got Premiership players, McGinn, Cummings, (Fraser) Fyvie, (Darren) McGregor, (Paul) Hanlon, the core of the squad is very strong.

“We would be top six in the Premiership on that basis but we do need to strengthen and we may have to fend off a few offers for some players as well because, at the end of the day, they are assets in the team and there are gong to be clubs looking at them very, very closely now.”