Liverpool are interested in signing Aston Villa midfielder John McGinn this summer as they search for Gini Wijnaldum's replacement.

What's the story?

According to well-respected journalist James Pearce, "the interest from Liverpool is very real" in the Scotland international after his impressive 2020/21 campaign.

However, his price tag may be a major stumbling block. McGinn signed a new five-year contract back in December and as such, Aston Villa are expected to demand a £50 million fee, meaning the Reds would have to sell some fringe players to fund this deal.

Fans should be buzzing

With Wijnaldum set to join French giants Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer, Jurgen Klopp is believed to be in the market for a new central midfielder over the coming months.

Several big names have been linked with a move to Anfield, including Saul Niguez, Nicolo Barella and Renato Sanches, but Liverpool's interest in McGinn appears to be the most concrete.

While the 26-year-old may not carry the same excitement and intrigue as the aforementioned stars, he's proved his quality in the Premier League over the last two campaigns and Klopp was reportedly impressed with his performance in Villa's 7-2 thrashing of the Reds last season.

At £50m, McGinn is arguably a transfer target that doesn't make much sense for Liverpool. The 19-time English champions are working on a restricted budget this summer, and better value for money deals are there to be had.

However, director of football Michael Edwards has forged an enviable reputation for his transfer negotiations in the past, and if he can get that figure down, then the club's supporters should be buzzing at their interest in the former Hibernian man.

He's a very different player to Wijnaldum, though, and his potential arrival on Merseyside would perhaps be seen more as a long-term replacement for the ageing James Milner than for Wijnaldum.

McGinn has thrived in a box-to-box role at Villa Park, utilising his energy, tenacity and ball carrying skills to great effect, winning possession back for his side before dragging them up the pitch.

Wijnaldum was tasked with keeping things simple in possession, bringing an element of control to Liverpool's midfield, but with Thiago now up to speed and more than capable of fulfilling that role, McGinn could add a new set of skills to Klopp's charges.

If Edwards can use his negotiating skills to get McGinn's asking price down, he'd be a very good addition, one that Liverpool fans should be excited to see in a red shirt.

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