I told Everton to sign ‘very good player’ for £3 million – typically they didn’t do it

John McGinn will be Everton’s opponent as they get ready for their Premier League matchup against Aston Villa.
Alan Stubbs claims that Everton could have acquired Aston Villa captain John McGinn for as little as £3 million.

This evening (17.30 BST), when the Toffees travel to Villa Park, McGinn will lead out Unai Emery’s team. The midfield player has proven to be a steal for the Birmingham team and has established himself as a top-tier Premier League operator.

In July 2018, he moved from Scottish club Hibernian for an alleged sum of £2.8 million. After helping them gain promotion from the Championship that season and scored the game-winning goal at Wembley in the play-off final, McGinn has established himself as a mainstay in the top division. The Scotland international scored nine goals in 53 games across all competitions as Villa advanced to the Europa Conference League semifinals and finished fourth in the Premier League, earning them a spot in the Champions League.

McGinn’s manager at Hibs was former Everton defender Stubbs, and the two won the Scottish Cup together in 2016. Furthermore, Stubbs disclosed that prior to the midfielder joining Villa, he advised the Toffees to make a move for him. In March 2023, Stubbs made the following statement via the Edinburgh Evening News: “I spoke with Everton when it became apparent that Leann Dempster, the chief executive of Hibs at the time, was trying to get one of the big boys to come and sign him.

“Knowing he would be a very good player and that Everton could get him for £3 million, I told them to invest.” Now, what’s he worth? Over £40 million? As is customary with Everton, Aston Villa is benefiting from their lack of action.

Everton, who has lost to Brighton, Tottenham, and Bournemouth, is looking for their first Premier League point of the year. With six points thus far, Villa is ranked sixth in the standings.