GSB now plotting West Ham bid for "unreal" £45m "throwback", he's the next Joe Cole - opinion

West Ham United are believed to be keeping tabs on Aston Villa midfielder John McGinn, ahead of a potential deal this summer.

According to the Daily Mail, the Scotland international – who is currently gearing up for a crucial World Cup playoff clash against Ukraine – is ‘among the options’ that David Moyes is considering in the upcoming window, as the Hammers boss seeks to strengthen his ranks.

The east London outfit will be able to offer the 27-year-old European football next term following their Europa Conference League qualification, although the report suggests that the deal will prove ‘difficult to pull off’ such is his importance to Villa.

A new midfield recruit is seemingly on the cards amid doubts over Tomas Soucek’s future at the London Stadium, with McGinn potentially an ideal replacement should his reported valuation of roughly £45m be met.

Should the £70k-per-week gem trade one claret and blue jersey for another in the coming months, he could well prove to be something of a talisman for the Irons, with the 44-cap gem potentially set to provide a real sense of magic to the club’s midfield.

A dynamic, relentless presence in the centre of the park, the former Hibernian man has proven a real favourite at Villa Park since his £2.75m switch back in 2018, having been dubbed “unreal” by fan and presenter Ty Bracey last year.

Not only does he offer the ability to drive his side up the pitch, acting as something like a midfield “throwback” for his all-action approach – as per former boss Dean Smith – the £27m-rated gem also can provide the cutting edge in the final third.

The versatile midfielder has netted nine goals and recorded 12 assists in his three Premier League campaigns to date, having already scored 12 goals