Report: Aston Villa star shortlisted by PL giants; highly regarded by club Technical Director

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Aston Villa midfielder John McGinn is reportedly on the shortlist for Manchester United, with Technical Director Darren Fletcher a fan.

According to the Athletic, the 26-year-old Villa is being monitored by the Red Devils.

However, the report states that McGinn is not too high up on United’s shortlist of central midfielders. This is mainly due to his age and the fact the Scotsman signed a new deal with Villa last December.

‘An absolute gentleman’

The Scotland international is one of Villa’s most important players, with John Terry a huge fan of McGinn. Speaking to the Scotsman, the former Chelsea captain lamented how much he enjoyed working with the midfielder. The ace joined the club in 2018 from Hibernian.

Terry said on McGinn back in 2019: “He is an absolute gentleman; a real talent and I think he is going to take the Premier League by storm this year because people aren’t going to know what to expect.”

McGinn featured heavily for Villa last season, with the midfielder making 35 Premier League appearances for the club, scoring three goals and assisting another six. Smith’s side finished 11th in the standings.

New contract should keep Manchester United at bay for McGinn

This isn’t the first time Manchester United have been linked with a move for McGinn. Indeed, the Athletic reported in 2019 that Sir Alex Ferguson had questioned why the Red Devils didn’t sign the Scottish international.

Although United remain interested in the midfielder, Villa should remain confident that the 26-year-old will stay with the club this summer, in large part to McGinn’s contract.

The Scotsman signed a new five-year deal in late 2020, and this will likely be the reason why McGinn won’t make the move to United this summer, unless Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and his transfer committee cough up a ludicrous sum for the midfielder.