With the player now in talks with Aston Villa, are Rangers making a big mistake in not going for John McGinn?
The midfielder was one of the most highly-praised talents last season, after returning to the Scottish Premiership with Hibernian and putting in a bunch of dominating displays in the midfield.
Celtic have failed with several bids for the 24-year-old, who can play anywhere in the centre of midfield, and it looks as though McGinn could now be set for a move to England with Villa.
It must’ve crossed Rangers manager Steven Gerrard’s thoughts to go for the player, who managed to net against both the Old Firm sides last season in a sensational debut campaign in the top flight with Hibs.
The recruitment drive at Ibrox has seen the likes of Scott Arfield and Lassana Coulibaly added to an already stacked engine room with the likes of Graham Dorrans, Greg Docherty, Ryan Jack, and Ovie Ejaria all competing for midfield roles.
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However, the addition of McGinn would’ve been blockbuster, and there’s no denying the midfielder would’ve certainly made a massive impact if given the chance at Ibrox.
The elephant in the room will be the youngster’s Celtic connections. His grandfather, Jack McGinn, was the chairman of the Parkhead side several years ago, whilst it’s well known McGinn’s boyhood club was the Gers’ Old Firm rivals.
However that shouldn’t take away from the fact that McGinn is an outstanding young talent with a big future ahead of him. Rangers have had great players in the past who arrived with Celtic supporting roots but left as a hero.
Hibs appeared to be holding out for £3m for their star-man, who could be snapped up on a pre-contract in January if he stays with his current side. Therefore, it’s clear the transfer funds would’ve been there had Rangers decided to make the move.
Whether McGinn would’ve been interested in the move is debatable, but there can be no denying the dominance and composure that the former St Mirren starlet would’ve brought to the side, especially under the wing of someone like Gerrard.
However, for now it would appear that McGinn’s future will lay elsewhere, be it down in England or at the other side of Glasgow. Other than a fleeting interest, Rangers never seemed too keen to make the move happen. Whether that will be a big mistake or not, we’ll never know.