Tottenham have shortlisted Aston Villa midfielder John McGinn as a summer transfer target as Antonio Conte hopes to strengthen his squad for European football next season.
That is according to the Telegraph, who claim the Scotland international could be one of up to six arrivals in the capital. McGinn is highly rated, and Sir Alex Ferguson was apparently once left frustrated by Manchester United's failure to sign him.
Arsenal's defeat at Newcastle United on Monday night means Tottenham effectively need just one point in their final-day clash at Norwich City to secure Champions League football next season. As a result, Spurs are planning for next season with a large squad in mind.
McGinn has quietly impressed at Villa Park since joining the club in the summer of 2018, helping the club earn promotion to the Premier League and establishing himself as a key player under successive managers. The 27-year-old has three years left on his current contract, although the report suggests he is not of the club's top earners.
Rodrigo Bentancur and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg have been Conte's first-choice midfield partnership in recent months. Academy graduate Harry Winks has been linked with an exit while Tanguy Ndombele is unlikely to be welcome back into the fold, meaning Tottenham plan to enter the market for a new central midfielder - although Oliver Skipp is expected to play a large role next season after his return from injury.
McGinn's consistent performances have regularly seen the central midfielder linked to Manchester United, and the Red Devils are said to have made an enquiry in the January transfer window. However, the club eventually ended up not signing anybody under interim boss Ralf Rangnick.
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Former Aston Villa scout Bobby Jenks recommended McGinn to the Championship side, with the box-to-box midfielder going on to impress in Dean Smith's promotion-winning side. Jenks was actually dismissed before the £2.75million deal was brokered due to cutbacks under previous owner Tony Xi, but the scout has previously declared Ferguson will have been left frustrated by the Red Devils failure to land the Scotland international.
He told the Athletic in 2019 : "He’s up there with the best-performing midfielders in the division. Wait until he’s had a year at that level and then we can say more. What I do know is that Sir Alex Ferguson is wondering why Manchester United let a talented Scottish boy slip through. He’ll be keeping a close eye on him that’s for sure and if he continues the way he is, you can bet he’ll be telling his pals at United, too.”
McGinn has gone on to make 145 appearances for Villa, registering 16 goals and 22 assists to date. The former Hibernian and St Mirren star will likely start in the final-day clash at the Etihad as Steven Gerrard's side look to deny Manchester City a fourth Premier League title in five seasons.
McGinn was named the Scottish Football Writers’ Association international player of the year this month, having missed only three top-flight fixtures this season. Tottenham are expected to turn loan arrangements for Dejan Kulusevski and Cristian Romero into permanent deals, but Conte will be hoping for further squad reinforcements.