Scotland midfielder John McGinn is in demand.placeholder image
Scotland midfielder John McGinn is in demand. | SNS Group
Hibs and St Mirren watch on with interest as two clubs linked with move
Aston Villa do not want to sell captain John McGinn after Everton were reported to have made a bid for the Scotland midfielder amid interest from Newcastle United.
McGinn, 30, has two more years to run on his contract at Villa Park. He is currently the club captain and was part of the team that reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League last season before being knocked out by Paris Saint-Germain.
Capped 77 times by Scotland, McGinn is has become a massive part of Aston Villa since moving from Hibs in 2018. He helped them win promotion back to the English Premier League via the play-offs and has made more than 300 appearance across multiple competitions.
Scotland midfielder John McGinn is in demand.placeholder image
Scotland midfielder John McGinn is in demand. | SNS Group
Everton manager David Moyes - also a Scot - has made McGinn one of his priority summer transfer targets, according to Sky Sports, who claim that Villa have thrown out a bid from the Toffees in the region of £18 million. Newcastle United are also said to be weighing up a move for the former St Mirren player as they try to strengthen their own squad.
The Premier League season begins on the weekend of August 16 and Villa manager Unai Emery is believed to have told the club’s hierarchy that he does not want to sell the player.
McGinn’s former club Hibs will be keeping an eye on developments as they have a 15 per cent sell-on clause, although St Mirren are due 30 per cent of the 15 as part of the deal brokered when the player swapped Paisley for Edinburgh in 2015.
Slicker lands move
Meanwhile, Scotland goalkeeper Cieran Slicker has joined English League Two side Barnet from Ipswich Town for the rest of the season.
The 22-year-old made his Scotland debut off the bench back in June after an early injury to Angus Gunn and was at fault for two of the goals as the Scots lost 3-0 to Iceland. It was his first senior appearance for club or country, although he had played 21 times for the Scotland Under-21s.
A former Manchester City youth player, Slicker will have an opportunity to play competitively after joining the Bees.
Cieran Slicker made his Scotland debut earlier this summer.placeholder image
Cieran Slicker made his Scotland debut earlier this summer. | SNS Group
“Part of our recruitment policy this year was to have two players in every position and Slicks gives us that,” said Barnet head coach Dean Brennan.
“Obviously we’ve tracked and monitored him for a long time. We had the opportunity to do a deal this week and I felt it was a good time to do it – I felt it was the right thing for the group.
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“I believe that he’ll upgrade that department and that’s how we raise the bar and keep pushing each other and how we upgrade our team. I feel Slicks will definitely do that. We just want him to come in and do what he’s good at.
“Ipswich have been very good to deal with and he’s with us for the season, so let’s see how he gets on.”