Everton interested in Aston Villa captain John McGinn – reports

Everton have shown interest in signing Aston Villa captain John McGinn, though manager Unai Emery is reluctant to part ways with the influential Scotland international.

As part of a significant summer overhaul, Everton boss David Moyes is keen on bringing in fresh talent and is a long-time admirer of the 30-year-old midfielder.

McGinn has been a key figure in Villa’s rise since arriving from Hibernian in August 2018 for a fee of £2.75 million.

Under Emery, McGinn has become central to Villa’s plans, playing a major role in their recent Champions League campaign.

The club narrowly missed out on qualifying for the tournament again last season, falling short on the final day.

Despite recently signing Carlos Alcaraz from Flamengo for £12.5 million and securing a contract extension for veteran midfielder Idrissa Gueye until 2026 (with an option for an additional year), Everton continue to assess options to bolster their midfield.

🚨 Everton have shown interest in Aston Villa midfielder John McGinn, but the Midlands club have indicated they would like to keep hold of him.

(Source: @TheAthleticFC) pic.twitter.com/hPfMbpFuvI

— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) July 8, 2025

This follows the departure of Abdoulaye Doucoure, whose contract ran out at the end of June.

While Everton’s interest in McGinn is genuine, any potential move is uncertain at this stage.

For now, both Villa and Emery are clear in their stance, they have no intention of letting the Glasgow-born midfielder leave.

However, things could change, despite Villa’s recent attempts to sell their women’s team in order to comply with financial fair play restrictions.