A transfer battle between West Ham United and Celtic would bring up a number of interesting dilemmas.
Would you be happy to play your domestic football in a weaker league because of the Champions League football potentially on offer at Parkhead? Or would you instead move south of the border with West Ham United, in hope of an immediate return to the Premier League.
That is a debate Josh Mulligan may have to contend with should suitors on both sides of Hadrian’s Wall step up their interest.
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According to reporter Ben Jacobs, West Ham have an interest in the Hibernian dynamo. It is no secret that Celtic are also big fans of the Scotland Under-21 international. But as Mulligan explains in a wide-ranging interview with the Hibs Observer, the brightest young talent in Scottish football tend to look further afield than Glasgow these days.
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Mulligan has often been likened to John McGinn, the former demonstrating the sort of firebrand tenacity and tactical intelligence reminiscent of the latter during his formative days at Easter Road.
Should Mulligan move to East London, the comparisons will take on another shape.
Aston Villa famously snapped McGinn from under the noses of Celtic in 2018 for a bargain £3 million. Eight years on, Mulligan may yet be handed the opportunity to choose claret and blue over green and white hoops himself.
“I went through this when I was at Dundee, so it helps that it’s not a new thing I’m going through. I just put it to one side. The only thing I’m thinking about is my next game for Hibs,” begins Mulligan, who moved to Edinburgh from Dens Park a year ago.
“Obviously any teams that are interested are interested for a reason, but I think you need to show that you’re capable of dealing with the speculation as well. As I said, I just block it out and focus on the next game for Hibs.
“Since I’ve started playing first-team football, there have been fewer players going to Celtic and Rangers [from rival Scottish clubs]. Back in the day, I think everyone wanted to go there for a big move, but recently, it’s not been as common.”
Mulligan insists that he is in no rush to leave – ‘I love playing for Hibs’ – but expect that stance to soften if West Ham come calling, offering what could be a shot at Premier League football later down the line and an easier route into the national team set-up.
The Scottish Premiership to Serie A pipeline is alive and well; Kieron Bowie scoring against Inter Milan and Juventus for Hellas Verona after following in the footsteps of Aaron Hickey, Josh Doig and Bologna captain Lewis Ferguson.
But, in McGinn, it is hard to think of a better example for homegrown prospects based outside of the Old Firm bubble. The former Hibs favourite will be playing Champions League football again next season after helping Unai Emery add a staggering fifth Europa winners’ medal to his personal collection.
Aston Villa, lest we forget, were a Championship side when McGinn joined back in 2018.
Nils Koppen came up against Mulligan while at Rangers
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This is not to say West Ham are guaranteed to enjoy the same trajectory, of course. But Nils Koppen was brought in as Director of Player Recruitment to find players with the quality and the personality to bring back the good times.
Aged 23 and unlikely to command a particularly substantial fee, Mulligan fits the Belgian’s usual oeuvre. This is without mentioning the fact that Mulligan will be a player known to Koppen following his spell as technical director at Rangers from 2024 to 2025.
“He brought his game to a new level,” Martin Boyle, a Hibs hero who played alongside both McGinn and Mulligan, said in December.
“He took the game by the scruff of the neck. He keeps driving at people. I think he got about four people booked! He’s another player with those John McGinn vibes; head down, runs through people. It’s great to see.”
Mulligan is not the only Scottish-based midfielder reportedly on the radar.
Reports emerged on Friday saying that Koppen is keen to reunite with Rangers’ Connor Barron at West Ham.
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