The former Celtic target wound up joining Aston Villa.
Aston Villa midfielder John McGinn has admitted on Sky Sports that he had his ‘heart set on’ joining Celtic last summer.
Celtic tracked the Scotland international for most of the transfer window and had three bids rejected by Hibernian, his club at the time.
But the 24-year-old wound up moving down South and joining Aston Villa in a £2.7 million deal [The Times].
McGinn has been a very impressive player for the Villans this season, but the midfielder, a boyhood Celtic supporter, admits that he initially had designs on Parkhead.
He told Sky Sports: “Obviously Celtic made a few offers and it was hard for me [not joining the club]. I was a season ticket holder for 15 years, so I had my heart set on it.
“But then two months along the line it became clear that a deal wasn’t being agreed. I just focused on my football and then got the opportunity to go to Aston Villa and I was blown away.
“When their bid got accepted there was only one place I was going.”
At the time of Celtic’s interest, McGinn had long been touted as a long-term replacement for Scott Brown.
But Callum McGregor has seriously impressed in that role in recent months after Brown missed a month through injury.
Had the Hoops signed McGinn, Brendan Rodgers never would have unearthed McGregor as a deep-lying midfielder, so perhaps that is one silver lining to Aston Villa beating them to his signature.
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