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Tam McManus

Josh Doig is Calvin Ramsay's equal and Hibs should be looking for top dollar - Tam McManus

Aberdeen hit the jackpot with their record sale of Calvin Ramsay to Liverpool but it’s not just Pittodrie that should be echoing to the ka-ching.

That £8m deal - let’s call it £4.5m because that’s what has been banked up front - is further proof that nobody will be cherry picking our best young stars on the cheap any more.

Hibs have been stung in the past. The best example was John McGinn going to Aston Villa for less than £3million a few years back.

One good season there and he was suddenly worth £20m.

But lessons have been learned and I reckon the next big wedge heading to Scotland could be about to land in Leith where Josh Doig is back at the centre of a transfer frenzy.

Bologna, Verona and a host of clubs down south are looking at Hibs’ left back.

And after seeing what Aberdeen have banked in the past few days Easter Road chiefs shouldn’t accept a penny less.

I genuinely don’t think Ramsay is any better than Doig. They are both really, really exciting talents and at 20 the Hibs man has that bit more top team experience under his belt with double the number of games in the top flight.

He is left sided and they don’t grow on trees.

Funnily enough he reminded me of a young Kieran Tierney when he came through, he was a strong runner with the ball and great energy up the wing with a decent delivery.

Obviously he is a way off Tierney’s level right now but he has tonnes of potential.

I know he was disappointed to miss out on that move down south last season when Arsenal, Leeds, Watford and Burnley were all in for him.

But he got his head down and after a slow start to last season he was one of Hibs’ most consistent performers for the last four or five months.

Towards the end of the season he looked fitter, stronger and ready to kick on again.

Doig can do both sides of the game. He’s better defensively than Ramsay who is maybe a bit more dynamic going forward.

In his first season Josh got caught a couple of times at the back post, most notably in the Scottish Cup Final when Shaun Rooney scored and he was ball watching.

But he learned from that and has cut it out his game.

(SNS Group)

I’m not sure if Verona or Bologna have £4million but there’s going to be a lot of interest down south again.

That’s why I think Hibs will struggle to hold onto him this summer.

When a new manager comes in he is going to want money to spend.

There’s going to be a big rebuild and if I’m Lee Johnson I’m thinking if there’s a chance to sell a younger player for megabucks to boost the transfer kitty then that’s what I’ll do.

Josh has played two seasons now, has already been linked heavily with clubs down south and if something comes in in the next two months then the time will be right - if the price is right.

There’s only small windows in your career to get big moves and the big disappointment of him missing out on a move last season means he will be doubly determined not to miss out again.

But I keep saying it. The price has to be right.

Ron Gordon has put a lot of money into the club and he will be looking to get some returns. If he can bank £3million and give the manager a big kitty to go and strengthen then it suits everybody.

That would allow Lee Johnson to go and bring experienced players in like Aiden McGeady in addition to the younger guys that have come in.

Speaking of youngsters, there’s a spot for at least one of the U18 side that have just won their league to make the breakthrough into the top team this season.

I’ve seen plenty of them. My eye is naturally drawn to strikers and there’s three in their now - Connor Young, Ethan Laidlaw and Josh O’Connor.

That’s the three I’d be looking at.

Hibs struggled to score goals last season and I’m certain there’s scope for one of them if they impress in pre-season to make the step up.

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