Everton are now eyeing a move for Aston Villa midfielder John McGinn, with manager David Moyes a keen admirer.
Toffees eager to strengthen in midfield this summer
The Toffees are looking to bring in a new central midfielder, after falling short in a 2-1 defeat at West Ham United in the Premier League on Saturday, with Tomas Soucek coming back to haunt his former manager.
Moyes lauded Soucek in his post-match interview, saying: “He’s done brilliantly for West Ham. I think he’s come in for a little bit [of criticism] maybe over certain times, but his worth has been enormous because of his goals, the type of boy he is, and everything about him.
“He epitomises a lot of things that you want as a coach; somebody who’s willing to work hard and does a lot of the unselfish jobs for the team.”
The Toffees have been linked with a move for the 31-year-old in the past, and he is not the only seasoned Premier League midfielder on the shortlist.
Indeed, according to a report from Football Insider, Everton have already held talks about a deal for Villa captain McGinn, and they are now reigniting their interest ahead of the summer transfer window.
Moyes is a big fan of the Scotland international, having previously described him as a “revelation”, and there is a feeling he could go straight into the starting XI.
The 31-year-old rakes in £120k-a-week at Villa Park and remains a key player for Unai Emery, so it remains to be seen whether the Toffees’ Premier League rivals are willing to sanction a departure.
Speaking after Aston Villa’s 4-0 victory against Everton in the 2023-24 season, Emery said: “I’m very happy for him because he scored. He doesn’t usually score a lot.
“He has to get into the box to get chances to score and he did that perfectly for the first goal – and his performance as well was very good. He can play right side, left side, play inside. He’s very important for us. Last week, he didn’t play well, but today was amazing.”
McGinn is vastly experienced in the Premier League, chipping in with 21 goals and 29 assists in 230 matches, and he is playing in his second European final in the last three seasons.
As such, the Scot has the pedigree to flourish at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, but he is set to turn 32 later this year, and the Toffees are also looking to make a younger addition to the squad in the middle of the park.
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