'Would be a big blow' - Ex-AVFC man reacts as UCL club line up move for £28.8m-rated Villa star

It would be a ‘big blow’ if Aston Villa were to lose John McGinn this summer, Frank McAvennie has told Football Insider.

The Daily Mail‘s Sam McEvoy reported earlier this month that Tottenham Hotspur, who are bound for the Champions League next season under Antonio Conte, are lining up a move for the 27-year-old.

The same publication had also reported in May that West Ham have identified the Scotsman as a potential target.

McGinn joined Villa in 2018 in a £2.8m move from Scottish Premiership side Hibernian. He has since gone on to make 147 appearances for the Midlands club, scoring 16 goals and providing 23 assists.

Valued at £28.8m by Transfermarkt, he still has three years left to run on his £70,000-per-week contract.

McAvennie, who played for Villa in the early 1990s, believes that the loss of McGinn would hurt the club but is confident that his fellow Scotsman is happy in the Midlands, where he has been given a platform to excel.

The 62-year-old told Football Insider about McGinn: “It would be a big blow if he left. Is he going to go? A player starts playing well and you see them linked with every club.

“I haven’t seen too much about it myself. John is happy, from what I can gather. He is playing in the Premier League, he is playing every week and he’s doing very well.

“There aren’t many people who have gone down to England and done that. He has done brilliantly. He’s shining week in and week out even though Grealish isn’t there anymore, they were great together.”

Would McGinn jump at the chance to move to Tottenham?

On the one hand, he would have the opportunity to work under a five-time league title winner in Antonio Conte, who may be plotting another title bid in north London.

He’d also have the opportunity to