The latest transfer news as Everton show interest in an Aston Villa gem.
Everton are reportedly interested in making a shock swoop for Aston Villa captain John McGinn this summer.
The Toffees are getting to work on improving their squad ahead of next season, eager to kick on after their comfortable mid-table finish last campaign. David Moyes has done a great job since taking over the reins from Sean Dyche but the club now want to move on to bigger and better things, especially as this season will be their first in their new Hill Dickinson Stadium.
One area of the squad Moyes is particularly keen on strengthening is the midfield following the departure of Abdoulaye Doucoure as a free agent. It’ll be difficult to replace the Malian’s energy in the centre of the park but Everton are trying to find a solution – and they could turn to Villa for exactly that.
Everton target shock move for Aston Villa captain
McGinn, Villa’s captain since 2022, has emerged as a shock target for the Toffees. The Athletic reports Everton have registered an interest in the Scotland international, though Villa have indicated they want to keep hold of McGinn and have reiterated his importance to Unai Emery’s squad.
Everton are being ambitious in their hopes to sign McGinn but the interest is concrete and could be acted upon in the coming weeks. It awaits to be seen if there’s any asking price Villa would entertain, but it’s bound to be significantly higher than his current Transfermarkt valuation of £20 million.
McGinn, who last extended his contract in 2023, is on the books at Villa until June 2027, when he will be 32 years old. The Villans are no longer under any real pressure to sell players after they agreed to the sale of their women’s team to ease concerns over a potential breach of the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules (PSR).
SCR could force Villa’s hand
There’s still one set of regulations Villa must consider this summer and that’s UEFA’s squad cost rules (SCR). Clubs competing in European competition this season are not allowed to spend more than 70 per cent of their income on player costs and Villa’s wage bill means they’re currently on track to fail in that regard.
Selling some of the highest earners may have to be the solution. McGinn is understood to be on a decent salary but not among the elite in the Villa squad. The likes of Emiliano Martinez and Leon Bailey are likelier to be sacrificed to make wiggle room for SCR reasons, while the recent Philippe Coutinho contract termination will have aided Villa’s case.
Key progress made on another Everton transfer
Regardless of whether Everton are able to progress with their interest in McGinn, another deal is moving forward. The same report from The Athletic details that the Toffees are making progress on a deal to sign France Under-21 striker Thierno Barry from Villarreal.
Following Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s exit, signing a new striker is essential and Everton may have found their man in Barry. The 22-year-old scored 11 goals and provided four assists in 35 La Liga matches for Villarreal last season. Before signing for the Yellow Submarine, Barry scored 20 goals in 41 games for Swiss side FC Basel.
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