The Newcastle United manager Steve Bruce is ‘determined to win the race’ for John McGinn should his former club, Aston Villa, go down – that’s according to The Daily Star.
It was Bruce who brought McGinn, the popular Scottish midfielder, to Villa in a £3 million move two years ago.
But after starring in both the Championship and Premier League since then, the 25-year-old should deliver Aston Villa a significant return on their investment if he switches clubs this summer.
McGinn is said to have attracted interest from Manchester United earlier in the campaign, but it is now claimed that the Red Devils have cooled their pursuit with Paul Pogba set to commit his future to Old Trafford – not to mention the positive early impression made by the club’s January recruit, Bruno Fernandes.
And Bruce could take advantage of the alleged retreat, with The Daily Star reporting that the former Manchester United defender has made McGinn a ‘top target’ alongside Danny Rose, the left-back currently on loan to Newcastle from Tottenham Hotspur.
Whether or not he is successful would likely hinge on Aston Villa’s Premier League survival, and the Villans must surmount a three-point deficit with two games left in order to achieve that.
Bruce was sacked by Villa after a disappointing start to last season’s Championship campaign.
And, having already ensured Newcastle’s safety, luring away McGinn would rub yet more salt into the wounds of the many Aston Villa supporters who revelled in his exit.
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