Neil Lennon has said that he believes Aiden McGeady is ready to leave Celtic. The winger has been the subject of continued speculation in recent months and his manager has admitted that he is likely to be forced to part with one of his most valuable assets.

Celtic received a bid for McGeady, thought to be in the region of £8.5 million, from Spartak Moscow last month but rejected the offer. However, a number of English clubs are thought to be interested in signing the player and Lennon says he thinks the player’s mind is already elsewhere.

"Aiden hasn't said to me he wants to leave in so many words," the manager said, "but that vibe came from his side of things."

McGeady is not part of the Celtic squad currently on tour in North America but Lennon said that it was not right to assume that he had been left behind because a transfer was imminent.

"I know there are conspiracy theories, but he has a genuine injury," he said. "He picked it up in a bounce game on Saturday behind closed doors."

Lennon insisted earlier this month that he did not want to lose the player, saying: "Aiden is one I’d like to keep. However if we got an offer that is too good to turn down we’ll discuss that."  However, he has now accepted that a sale may be best for both player and club.

An offer similar to that which Spartak made would likely see Celtic cash in on the Republic of Ireland international, allowing Lennon to reinvest the transfer fee in new signings ahead of the new season. The winger’s next club is far from certain though, with several clubs having been linked with a possible bid.

Birmingham City, managed by ex-Rangers manager Alex McLeish, are thought to have had a bid rejected in the past but may return following the admission that McGeady is likely to go. Martin O’Neill is rumoured to be keen on taking the player to Aston Villa and Spurs are also believed to be monitoring the player’s situation.