Manchester United target £40m summer swoop for Aston Villa’s John McGinn

Aston Villa are set to have their resolve tested in the summer when Manchester United hope to persuade them to part company with John McGinn in a £40m deal.

United are moving towards a complete overhaul of their squad after a disappointing campaign in which they have failed to mount a title challenge despite boasting a hugely talented squad, particularly in attacking areas, including Cristiano Ronaldo.

A new permanent manager will be appointed at Old Trafford this summer and the club’s plan is to bring in fresh faces on the pitch too as the likes of Marcus Rashford, Jesse Lingard and Anthony Martial continue to disappoint.

McGinn is highly thought of by United having impressed in his performances against them and the club’s strong Scottish connection could hold huge sway in tempting McGinn to move.

Legendary former boss and regular Old Trafford visitor Sir Alex Ferguson and United’s technical director Darren Fletcher are both Scotsmen who have seen the impact McGinn has made for club and country.

McGinn is known to be extremely happy at Villa Park but his current contract expires in 2024 and this could be the 27-year-old’s last chance to secure a move to one of the giants of the global game.

Villa have lots of options in midfield and have been boosted by the superb impact of Jacob Ramsey, as well as having the likes of Carney Chukwuemeka pressing for more first team football. Therefore, a serious offer for McGinn around the £40m mark is likely to be given serious thought by Villa.

What could be happening at Villa Park any time soon?

Villa are known to be ready to part with big money to land Brighton midfielder Yves Bissouma, but getting the deal done this month is going to prove tough as the Seagulls are riding high in the top half of the Premier League and in no rush to sell.

If Steven Gerrard and Co cannot get Brighton to budge, then Villa may well turn to Rangers’ Finland international Glen Kamara as a cheaper alternative.

Scottish giants Rangers are known to have financial issues, although these have been somewhat

eased by the £11.5m – possibly rising to £16m - sale of Nathan Patterson to Everton, but Gerrard does rate Karama from their time together at Ibrox and Villa could well test the waters with a bid soon.

Villa have lost Marvelous Nakamba to a knee injury for around three to four months and Gerrard has suggested a replacement will be sought.

If Kamara is to be the man, then Villa are likely to face competition from Newcastle United and Everton among others.

A message from the editor:

Thank you for reading. BirminghamWorld is Birmingham’s latest news website, championing everything that is great about our city - reporting on news, lifestyle and sport. We want to start a community among our readers, so please follow us on Facebook,Twitter and Instagram, and keep the conversation going.