‘Aston Villa find perfect John McGinn replacement’ as Everton hunt deal for Scots ace
Aston Villa may have just found their perfect replacement for John McGinn as interest mounts in their club captain.
The Scottish ace has been a stalwart of the Villans’ side for several years and holds a key leadership role within the squad, but it now seems as though he could be destined to depart in the near future.
Everton are understood to be keen to sign McGinn, who currently has two years remaining on his contract in B6.
It now seems as though Monchi and Co. have secured an ideal replacement for the 30-year-old, if he does move on ahead of the upcoming campaign.
Villa are leading the race to sign Sol Sidibe
Despite Everton’s approach, Villa are extremely reluctant to sell McGinn, but that will not have stopped them from lining up potential contingency plans for if the Scot’s future continues to fall under question.
Unai Emery has relied on the former Hibernian man consistently over the years, but the Spanish boss must now be seriously contemplating how his side may look without McGinn in it.
Emery may instead have a new midfield gem to work with next season, as the Villans are understood to be leading the race to sign Stoke City’s Sol Sidibe, according to Foot Mercato (9 July).
The midfielder is the son of former Stoke frontman Mamady Sidibe, and enjoyed something of a breakthrough campaign for the Potters last term.
With concerns mounting over Everton’s desire to sign McGinn, Villa will surely look to get a deal over the line in order to safeguard themselves in the event of a departure.
Sidibe could be a long-term McGinn replacement
Villa’s interest in Sidibe has increased in recent weeks, and he now could be set to step into McGinn’s shoes if the skipper packs his bags for Everton.
Sidibe may not immediately be ready to play regular first-team football in the Premier League, but he could easily develop into a commanding presence in the middle of the park over the next few years.
| Competition | Apps | Goals | Assists |
| Championship | 8 | – | 1 |
| EFL Cup | 1 | – | – |
| FA Cup | 4 | – | 1 |
The youngster possesses both the energy and the strength to operate in either a holding midfield position or in more of a box-to-box role, which should see him offer a similar level of versatility to McGinn over time.
He has represented England at U17 and U18 levels, and is already the captain of his country at his age group.
It remains to be seen whether he would slot straight into Emery’s first-team plans, but if Villa could secure a deal for Sidibe, then it would see them tie down one of the EFL’s brightest young talents for the foreseeable future.
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