McLeish: Top clubs won’t let John slip
Alex McLeish reckons Aston Villa would rake in at least 10 times what they paid for John McGinn if they sold the Scotland star.
The 25-year-old will have a pivotal role at the heart of the Villa midfield today as they head to West Ham for their final Premier League game of the season.
A win will guarantee them another season in the lucrative top flight although calculators could be needed depending on other results if they fail to get all three points.
And former Villa gaffer McLeish reckons McGinn’s inf luence would have clubs keen to keep the £2.75million signing from Hibs in the Premier League.
He said: “When you look at the money that changes hands in England, you wouldn’t be surprised to see Villa say he’d be worth somewhere between £30m and £40m. What a bargain they must think they got when they signed him from Hibs two years ago.
“John definitely deserves to play in the Premier League. It is a huge game for them this afternoon with so much at stake for Villa. I’d love to see them staying up but if they do go down then I wouldn’t be surprised if you were to see another club come in for John.”
And while McGinn was won admiration for his energy and commitment, McLeish insists there is far more to his game than just that.
He said: “I remember watching John in his early days at St Mirren then again at Hibs.
“He always looked like he had the potential of going up a level but at that stage you can have a lot of players in a similar bracket – going on and actually doing it is a different thing.
“There is always the obvious thing about John’s determination and his desire which is clearly a big part of his make-up.
“John has worked his backside off to keep getting better, to improve.”