Neil Lennon has accused former Rangers manager Mark Warburton of unsettling John McGinn with a "laughable" bid of £750,000 and insisted the Hibs midfielder should be valued at £5 million.

The Easter Road outfit have thrown out Nottingham Forest’s offer for the Scotland internationalist but, with the transfer window closing on Thursday, Lennon fully expects the English Championship outfit to test their mettle again this week.

Kilmarnock striker Kris Boyd, friendly with Forest No.2 David Weir, claimed on TV that yesterday’s 1-1 draw with Dundee at Dens Park would be McGinn’s last game for Hibs as he heads off on international duty.

However, Lennon – who revealed the club have tentatively started new contract talks with the 22-year-old – was in defiant mood as he fired a retort back at Boyd and Warburton.

“It is laughable,” he said, joking he could make a bid for Celtic skipper Scott Brown and make it public. “We've kicked it into touch. They'll need to come back with far more money than they're offering at the minute.

“If they do then fine, that's a decision the club has to make. If other clubs come in, we've got a valuation of the player.

“They [the board] will do the best for the club and, if it's an offer they can't refuse, every player has his price.

“[Forest’s bid] is well short. Three or four times short. Mark Warburton knows the Scottish market. I would imagine they'll come again. Sometimes they do it to unsettle the player, which doesn't please me.

“Apparently Kris Boyd has inside information that I don't know of. Seemingly that's John's last game for Hibs today. Somebody must be telling him something I don't know.

“There is a market out there. For a player of John McGinn's quality, you're talking in the millions.

“I would value John at five million. But maybe the club can't get that.”

McGinn was short of his best against Dundee and Lennon confessed he fears the speculation may have affected his performance.

“I do think, looking at him today, that at times the speculation affected him,” he added. “He was a bit in and out, some good bits and some sloppy bits.

“It's something we don't need at the minute.

“We're in negotiation to renew his contract, if we can - we've spoken tentatively to his agent and the players himself. So it's just a waiting game.”