Aston Villa signed John McGinn in the summer transfer window, but Steve Bruce’s side missed out on Joe Bryan to Fulham.
Villa have signed Scotland international midfielder McGinn from Hibernian in the summer transfer window.
According to The Times, the Villans had to pay the Scottish Premiership side a transfer fee of £2.75 million plus add-ons in order to secure the services of the 23-year-old.
Villa manager Bruce has revealed the key factor that led to the Villans signing the midfielder – the new owners.
Bruce has also expressed his disappointment at missing out on 24-year-old left-back Joe Bryan, who joined Fulham from Bristol City in the summer transfer window despite having passed a medical with Villa, as reported by The Birmingham Mail.
Bruce told The Glasgow Evening Times about McGinn: “Celtic were in the box seat and put in a bid for him but we weren’t in any financial position to be anywhere near it. So, we were just letting it go.
“But, thankfully, with the new owners coming in, we’ve managed to bring in McGinn and we’re delighted we’ve been able to do it.”
The Villa boss told The Birmingham Mail about Bryan: “We were close and I’m totally disappointed. He was here but we were probably 15 minutes too late. I’ve never had it that close before (and then missed out). It was painful.”
Strong start to the season
Villa have made a strong start to the season and have won both of their Championship games so far.
The Villans do have a strong squad, and Bruce’s side will be determined to win promotion to the Premier League after missing out last season.
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