Charlie Mulgrew believes the door to Parkhead still tugs at John McGinn.
Speaking on TalkSPORT, the former Celtic defender claimed the Aston Villa midfielder retains a strong pull toward the club he grew up around, years after the infamous near-miss under Brendan Rodgers’ first spell.
“Listen, John McGinn would’ve loved to have went to Celtic. I know John McGinn personally, his whole family are Celtic fans, but it just didn’t happen for whatever reason,” Mulgrew said.
“I think it’s definitely going to be in his head [to sign for Celtic.] When you’re brought up in Glasgow, the only teams that you see are Celtic and Rangers – and for you, that’s the pinnacle of football.
“I’d picture myself growing up in the streets of Glasgow, picturing myself scoring Rangers, that was my dream. That was the top of the world of football for me.
“Because that was all I had seen – I know now that there’s bigger games, but to then eventually score against Rangers and feel that, I know John McGinn will be desperate to do that. Whether that happens or not, I just don’t know.”
Celtic fans know the backstory. McGinn’s switch from Hibs to Parkhead felt inevitable until the deal drifted. As Peter Lawwell’s board weighed a pre-contract route rather than meeting Hibs’ price, Aston Villa moved decisively, paid the fee and took the Scotland international to Birmingham. The rest has been a Premier League success story.
Now 30, McGinn is closing in on 300 appearances for Villa, has played Champions League football for Unai Emery’s side and passed 70 caps for Scotland. He has grown into a leader in England and a standard-bearer for Steve Clarke’s national team. That is the level Celtic let slip through their fingers.
Could a reunion ever happen? The football fit is obvious. McGinn brings ball-carrying, power, pressing and end product from midfield. He is a culture-setter, the sort who can drag a team through tight domestic games and raise the bar on European nights. For Rodgers, he would be a plug-and-play upgrade.
Celtic Reality
The realities are harder. Villa value him as a cornerstone. Premier League wages and the likely fee put any Parkhead raid firmly in the dream category unless circumstances change. There is no suggestion of an active move, only Mulgrew’s insight into a player’s heart and upbringing. His transfer value is currently sitting at £16m TransferMarkt, you would imagine Villa would demand more. Although he has only two years left on his deal, perhaps a 32-year-old John McGinn would fancy a crack at his boyhood heroes.
Still, supporters will take notice. Celtic missed a transformational midfielder once. If a crack ever opens, even a small one, the current hierarchy would be under pressure to move with the decisiveness that was missing last time.
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One Response
£16m rated you say?
David Moyes offered £18m two months ago, and was rejected.
SJM will end up at Celtic, but he will cost nothing, as Villa will agree to let him play out his contract then move for free because that his how much we all respect him. He will remain a potent force into his mid 30’s.