'The pinnacle of football' - Aston Villa receive John McGinn to Celtic transfer verdict

Cameron Smith

• 13 Oct 2025 02:57 CDT
• 4 min read

News

Aston Villa midfielder John McGin will be “desperate” to score against Rangers in a Celtic jersey, according to former Bhoys defender Charlie Mulgrew.

The Scotland international was on the verge of moving to Celtic Park from Hibernian back in 2018, but the deal ultimately failed to materialise and he eventually joined Aston Villa for a fee of €3.1 million instead.

Current ETV

John McGinn

M (CL), DM (C)

Aston Villa

John McGinn

M (CL), DM (C)

Aston Villa

€15.5M

ETV Range

€14M - €17.1M

View full profile

McGinn has enjoyed a stellar stint with the Birmingham giants, racking up just shy of 300 first-team appearances and helping them back into the Champions League, but Mulgrew believes that a move to Celtic could be on the cards before the end of his career.

“Listen, John McGinn would’ve loved to have gone to Celtic. I know John McGinn personally, his whole family are Celtic fans, but it just didn’t happen for whatever reason,” Mulgrew told talkSPORT (via The Celtic Star).

“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 against 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.”

Will John McGinn join Celtic?

The Aston Villa captain, 30, has just under two years remaining on his current contract with Unai Emery’s side, and a departure next summer could therefore occur if an extension agreement isn’t reached.

However, McGinn remains an integral player at Villa Park and the Premier League outfit are unlikely to sanction a sale unless Celtic are willing to cough up a fee in the region of his €15.5m Estimated Transfer Value (ETV).

The Scotland international would become Celtic’s second-most expensive signing in history if he joins the club for that figure, with Jota (€16.2m from Benfica) currently holding the record.

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