What Aston Villa are now saying about John McGinn sale after Everton bid
Everton have finally started to step up their transfer activity after a slow start to the summer.
Everton have signed Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall from Chelsea and are believed to be closing in on Southampton’s Tyler Dibling.
On top of that, they have revamped their pursuit of Aston Villa captain John McGinn.
David Moyes is looking to add leadership and added quality to his midfield and has identified fellow Scotsman McGinn.
And Aston Villa have already responded to this interest.
Aston Villa issue hands-off warning to Everton over McGinn
It had previously been suggested that McGinn would be open to move to Merseyside.
However, Aston Villa have made it clear that they will not allow this to happen this summer.
Sky Sports reported on Thursday that the Villans have rejected an £18million bid from Everton and insisted that he isn’t for sale at any price.
McGinn is described as Moyes’ “priority target” before the summer transfer window closes.
Villa have had a difficult summer, with several of their best players being linked with moves to different clubs.
They have also struggled to attract their transfer targets, so it makes sense that they have no interest in selling their captain.
Everton may now have to pursue other targets if they are keen to bolster their midfield with more experienced leaders.
Everton still need an injection of flair in their attack
McGinn has been a stalwart in midfield for Aston Villa, and he would be a fantastic signing for Everton if they could pull it off.
However, it’s surprising that Moyes’ priority signing isn’t someone who can play further forward.
The Toffees only scored 42 Premier League goals last season. They’ve signed Thierno Barry from Villarreal to try and address that, but Moyes’ starting XI could still do with an injection of flair.
| Player | League goals |
| Iliman Ndiaye | 9 |
| Beto | 8 |
| Dwight McNeil | 4 |
The pursuit of Jack Grealish is likely to be more exciting for Everton fans. Grealish has lost his way at Manchester City, but Moyes may be able to help the England international regain his peak form.
At his best, Grealish remains capable of scoring great goals and unlocking Premier League defences on a regular basis.
If Moyes could sign a playmaker of his calibre before the season starts, it would give Everton fans a big reason to be optimistic for the upcoming season.
Sign up for the Goodison News WhatsApp channel and turn on notifications to have all the latest, breaking Everton news sent straight to your phone.