There’s a story in the Athletic today that describes just how much Jurgen Klopp appreciates the talents of Aston Villa’s Scottish midfielder John McGinn.
According to James Pearce and Greg Evans, the Liverpool manager has long been following McGinn’s progress and has specifically asked Andy Robertson about his countryman’s skillset.
“The interest from Liverpool is very real,” the article claims.
“In 2019, an impressed Klopp said: “John McGinn, what a super player he is.”
“Liverpool’s manager has been further encouraged by what he has seen from the Scot since. Yet interest in a player is one thing, actually moving to try to sign him is another.”
Despite Klopp’s keenness, the article pours cold water on the story at the same time, suggesting Villa will not sell this summer and that it would take an astronomical £50m bid for them to even consider it.
At EOTK, we can’t see the Reds stretching quite that far.
Liverpool obviously need a replacement got Gini Wijnaldum, although the current noises coming out of the club point to the fact we are already well-stocked in central midfield, with Thiago now fully embedded and the emergence of Curtis Jones as a first-team option.
James Milner though won’t play anywhere near as many games and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita cannot be relied upon. A new midfielder is almost as essential as a forward.